In the results of Brazil’s National Survey of Sample Households (PNAD) there is an explanation for the President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s popularity that intrigues the center, the right, and part of the left. Brazil became less unequal in many senses. To call the advances which have been achieved “welfare” doesn’t help to understand the current reality, nor to work toward more profound changes. Original text in Portuguese can be seen below, under “Brasil: retrato sócio-econômico”. (L.Dowbor)