This is a spin-off from another site. (It’s a hijack that got out of hand) My source says that Pinochet deserves credit for rescuing Chile from Castro-like communism, and bringing them to peace and prosperity with a relatively small loss of life. See http://frontpagemag.com/guestcolumnists/whelan05-22-01.htm
Other sources say very bad things indeed about Pinochet.
To provide a flavour of the debate, following are copies of three posts, rescued from the other site.
Ah, the memories. When I lived in Columbia, SC, I stopped on my way home from work to assist a distressed cyclist. Within moments, two cohorts joined him, and the three together demanded my wallet as one held a tire-iron and another a two-by-four. I don’t know when I ever felt more free.
Why do you think Pinochet was arrested by the British, and Spain asked for his extradition?
Because he (allegedly, though I don’t think he denies it) organised the torture and murder of thousands of people. I find it hard to believe that you think the benefit of a well-run economy is worth that.
From the BBC:
quote:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But very quickly it was General Pinochet who came to represent the military regime, and it was he who ordered many of the purges that saw more than 3,000 supporters of the Allende regime killed, thousands more tortured, and many thousands more again forced into exile. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These “BBC” numbers differ from Alfonso Marquez de la Plata, whose book “Una Persecucion Vergonzosa”
says that Chilean revolution had 2,117 dead and missing, on both sides, in 17 years. Guin, can you provide a cite to the BBC report that you quoted?
The atrocities committed by Argentina during the “Dirty War” were a lot greater than those committed by Pinochet. e.g. http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/official-story.html **Argentina has a history of political instability. In 1976 a military junta seized power and ruled the country until 1983. In order to consolidate its power and to counteract a left wing insurgency, the military undertook what has been called the “dirty war” in which tens of thousands of people with any potential connection to anyone involved in the left were taken into government custody. About 30,000 of these people were never heard from again. They were called “the disappeareds.” (A person we met was imprisoned and tortured because his name was found in the phone book of another person suspected of complicity in the insurgency.) The killings occurred in a number of ways. People were tortured to death. Others were dropped into the ocean from helicopters. Still others were taken to distant locations, herded into groups and machine gunned. **
(I have a personal reaction. A journalist named Noga Tarnapolsky, who went through school with my daughter, wrote some moving articles for the NY Times Magazine about family members of hers in Argentina who were “disappeared.”)
Argentinian atrocities don’t excuse Chilean ones. However, why has there has been much more fuss over Chile than Argentina? Because Pinchet defeated a leftist government, and the leftists have been seeking revenge.
Why has there has been much more fuss over Russia than Argentina? Because Stalin defeated a rightist government, and the rightists have been seeking revenge.
(Of course Stalin didn’t run the economy very well. So presumably you wouldn’t approve of him, unlike Pinochet.)
To show my position clearly:
Government atrocities are appalling wherever they occur.
(Please feel free to join Amnesty International, and try to stop all such oppression.)
Libertarian was robbed in Columbia, South Carolina. I hope that clears things up. Jeez, it’s tough when you try to make a joke and NOBODY NOTICES. I feel for you, man.
I’m not saying Argentina wasn’t bad. Nor am I defending the USSR. (Trust me, I’m the last person who would…and btw, they didn’t overthrow a rightist government-they overthrew a democratic government who took over from an absolute monarchy that was failing very badly)
I don’t understand-NO amount of money is worth the murder and torture of thousands. NOTHING is worth that. So he fixed the economy? So WHAT? Would you be willing to risk your life for the economy?
*Originally posted by glee *
[B1 To show the absurdity of your argument above:
Why has there has been much more fuss over Russia than Argentina? Because Stalin defeated a rightist government, and the rightists have been seeking revenge.**
Cute. However, the atrocities committed by Stalin and other Communists were comparable to Hitler’s. (Both murdered around 100 million people.) Yet, fascists get worse press than communists, just as Pinochet gets worse press than Argentina.
**2. To show my position clearly:
Government atrocities are appalling wherever they occur. (Please feel free to join Amnesty International, and try to stop all such oppression.)**
Who could disagree with the goals of Amnsty International?
There’s a few problems with this “theory” of yours, december:
(1) As was noted in the quote you provided us with, part of the justification of the Argentina junta was to “counteract a leftist insurgency”. Doesn’t that sort of work against your claim that the vilification of Chile in comparison to Argentina is due to leftists seeking revenge? The Argentinian junta wasn’t exactly the leftists friends now, was it?
(2) Personally, I don’t really recall the Argentina thing not being fussed about. I heard quite a bit about it.
(3) One very good reason why the Chilean coup might attract more attention here is that it involved the U.S. government actively supporting the overthrow of a legitimately elected government. I.e., it is the U.S. involvement that makes it an important issue in U.S. politics. Another fun fact in this regard is that the Pinochet government committed an act of terrorism in our own nation’s capital…using a car bomb to blow up two people in Washington D.C. I don’t think that sort of thing helps you win any popularity contests with anyone except those who believe that all is fair when it comes to making the world safe for multinational corporations.