When the panic syndrome is finally overcome, the world will have another mission: to work together to save capitalism. If the economic authorities around the globe continue using such exotic weaponry, nothing will save this economic system. Authorities and central banks are bombing some valuable principles of the free-market economy. Banks have been nationalized, risks have been socialized, governments are shopping around in the stock market, and central banks have entered in the business sector as if they were private companies. Every day another fundamental law of capitalism is forgotten. It's an emergency and the rulers are in panic; however, even Lenin in his wildest dreams would never have imagined capitalist authorities using such weapons of mass destruction against the free-market doctrine.

I'm worried about Brazil. The government party has very little faith in the market's capacity to lead the economy. Recent events are reinforcing their conviction that it's time again to support a strong government and a state-led economy.

President Lula had spent the last few months saying that this crisis is an American problem. "Ask Bush", he said, when journalists asked about the turmoil in the stock market. But over the last few days the currency has dropped fast, the companies have canceled investment projects, consumers have stopped buying. The crisis has arrived in Brazil.

Brazil's first reaction was to send state-owned banks to take control of the small banks' investments, to offer more credit to the companies, to create governmental funds, to give more taxpayers' money to the agricultural sector. In other words: the decision has been to increase the state presence in the economy.

The problem is: 40% of all banking business, 70% of energy power generation and the largest Brazilian company, Petrobras, are already state-owned.

To the rest of the world: Don't set a bad example, please. We do not need more state intervention. We are still building the foundations of a capitalist economy.