Project Hammer!

In 1975 the US government had problems with their PR since the Vietnam war didn’t turn out OK, and the US people and large parts of the rest of the world protested regularly against USA and the war. The US wanted to get a new image and gain some new global friends as large parts of the world had turn their back on them. In South America the climate was less hostile so USA decide to turn their focus on them. Now they wanted to help rather than kill (an idea sprung from one the president advisers at a lunch meeting). They took a look at South America and discovered their need for housing, and at the same time the high quota of unemployment. They started Project Hammer.

Project Hammer was the idea to supply lumber, tools and other carpentry equipment to larger companies (companies not even involved in construction) so that they in turn could hire unemployed people to build homes for the homeless. USA would also provide money so the companies could pay their workers, and also access to some architects for designing larger villas to be sold to the richer parts of South America. In this way, the unemployed got work, the homeless got homes and the companies got a small profit, and everybody got to ease their conscious. But no one had taken Bossa Nova into the equation.

In the 70s Bossa Nova was hip, cool, suave and chic, all at once. And more and more venues for Bossa Nova was built. The companies saw a chance to earn not just some money, but ALOT of money. So instead of houses for the homeless they used the architects and supplies to build Bossa Nova scenes and clubs, and also house for the growing (and rich) population of Bossa Nova musicians and artist. The homeless remained homeless, and the unemployed never got hired, because young children was cheaper to hire.

This in turn led to that the small companies grew into bigger and richer companies, Bossa Nova got a boost with all its venues, and USA got an ally in South America, maybe not in the way USA had in mind, but they were just glad that somebody liked them. The losers became the homeless and unemployed, but most of all the hired children. The children got paid lousy and due to the extra strong glue used in the construction (the glue needs to be extra strong due to the heat) they got addicted via the fumes.

Later on when Bossa Nova start to withdraw from the popular music scene these “glue boys” was the only remains of Project Hammer. They were addicted to the glue, but it was not commonly used any more in construction, so to get a hold of it became an expensive chore. This kids in turn became homeless, and once again the gap between rich and poor grew. Today most companies have gone belly up, and USA has once again lost an ally as they deny their involvement in the creation of the “glue boys”.

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