The polemic fabricated by the national and international press based on the declarations of Minister of Science and Technology Roberto Amaral and the repercussion of the presidential decision to postpone the competition regarding the purchase of 12 fighter planes for the Brazilian Air Force both illustrate how some issues touch sensitive spots for the only reason that they deal with key matters regarding the country and its relation to the world.

The socialist Minister's statement is almost a truism. But as in the song The Indian, by Caetano Veloso, it is shocking not due to exotic reasons, but to obvious ones. He only defended what every administration minimally committed to the affirmation of the national scientific capacity must defend-the autonomy the country must have to learn, assimilate, dominate and develop any technology in any field, including nuclear research. It would be an overstatement and a falsity to attribute to the new administration the intention to "build an atomic bomb" and report to international treaties signed by Brazil. In an international situation characterized by crises fabricated by the US imperialism regarding mass destruction weapons, which are used as pretexts to attack Iraq and destabilize Korea, distorting the statements made by the Minister of Science and Technology sounds like a provocation and aims at intimidating the country. In fact, this clumsy campaign does not issue the "atomic bomb", but the affirmation of national sovereignty in a field of strategic importance such as the production of nuclear energy.

Reaffirming the defense of the use of nuclear energy for pacific ends is only reasonable as long as it is associated with the fight for the abolition of all nuclear weapons in the world. The possession of nuclear weapons by a restricted club of powers is a permanent threat to the whole of humankind and a factor of insecurity to non-nuclear countries. The US campaign against other countries possessing nuclear weapons and other mass destruction weapons may be compared to an arsonist shouting "fire!", since as the country fabricates pretexts, fictionalizes and amplifies crises regarding the subject, the United States revoke the treaty on ballistic missiles and furthers the threatening project of building the spatial shield known as "Star Wars".

A nation of continental dimensions with abundant mineral resources and a rich biodiversity, coveted by imperialism, Brazil cannot reduce its defense capacity, a clear objective of those who wish to dominate us. Therefore the generalized praise from Europe and the United States regarding president Lula's decision to halt the process of purchasing 12 fighter planes by the Brazilian Air Force-attributed to an option the president made between "butter or cannon"-is as suspicious as the response to the declarations of Minister Amaral. The dilemma is false as long as Brazil is concerned. During president Collor' administration and president Cardoso's two mandates the Armed Forces suffered with deprivation and the defense capacity of the country has deteriorated since then. It is not only a case of indisposition or unwillingness regarding neglectful statesmen on the national defense issue, but the application of a line, an orientation of the imperialist powers with a view to weakening the defense capacity of nations tending to become regional powers and also to transforming the Armed Forces into a police force. The resources withdrawn from the program of modernization and revamping the Armed Forces will not help finance the promising Zero Hunger program and the masterly social agenda inaugurated by president Lula from the first day of his mandate. The social revolution also will not be possible with programs of fiscal adjustment made according to models imposed by the IMF or the World Bank. The latter already offered help to finance compensational measures.

Will this be the way or the people and the government must prepare themselves to approach more frontally the deep reasons for the government's lack or resources and the bankruptcy of the State generated by dependent capitalism and by the application of neoliberalism during more than one decade?