Nowadays, that kind of pointed counter-criticism is very effective at shutting down conversations about how to improve things.

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But Christina Michalos, representing Mrs Thompson said it was "like a cross between Catch 22 and 1984" that Mr James was using public money to counter-sue Mrs Thompson for her criticism of the fund that allowed him to do it.

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These setbacks are all the more wounding to Mr Cardoso, an ex-Marxist turned social democrat, in that they make it harder to find the money to counter criticism that he is doing little to tackle deep-rooted social problems.

ECONOMIST: Brazil