# Was Richard Nixon That Bad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 6, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-richard-nixon-that-bad/531508 "2010-03-06T04:49:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-richard-nixon-that-bad/531508/161 "2010-03-23T15:53:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It does seem strange to try to justify a Latin American dictatorship overthrowing a democratic government with the argument that Latin American dictatorships eventually get replaced by democratic governments. Wouldn’t it have saved time to just skip the dictatorship phase? But a democracy’s only good if the voters are smart enough to make the right choice. When they do something foolish like electing a Marxist, us 'Merkins have to step in and help them see the light. And if a couple thousand people get murdered or disappeared in the process, well, you can’t make a Chilean omelet without breaking a few eggs. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-richard-nixon-that-bad/531508/162 "2010-03-24T01:53:00Z")
_They’ve got to be protected, All their rights respected Until somebody we like can be elected._ – T. Lehrer ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-richard-nixon-that-bad/531508/163 "2010-03-24T02:40:16Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > This makes very little sense. Are you saying right-wing dictaorships are better because they’re more likely to collapse than left-wing ones? If so, that seems like a pretty silly reason. And a non-factual one - there are more right wing dictatorships in the world now than left-wing ones. > > In this particualr case, it seems silly to say that left-wing governments are bad because they last so long and right-wing governments are better because they fade away quickly. Allende was in power in Chile for three years, Pinochet was in power for sixteen years. And Castro’s been in power for forty years. Most of America’s right-wing governments are now democracies-in Latin America and East Asia. And most so-called right-wing dictatorships right now are Islamist or simply military ones in Africa (neither of which is supported by the US). ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-richard-nixon-that-bad/531508/164 "2010-03-24T05:25:57Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > And Castro’s been in power for forty years. Most of America’s right-wing governments are now democracies-in Latin America and East Asia. And most so-called right-wing dictatorships right now are Islamist or simply military ones in Africa (neither of which is supported by the US). Castro took over in a coup – he was never elected. Allende was. What’s your point? Like it or not, the people elected Allende of their own free will. It was all legit. You may not like it, or agree with it, but that’s how a democracy works. It was not the place of the US to decide what was right for Chile. Left, right, what’s the difference. A dictator is a dictator. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-richard-nixon-that-bad/531508/165 "2010-03-24T13:26:14Z")
> [@](#): > > And Castro’s been in power for forty years. Most of America’s right-wing governments are now democracies-in Latin America and East Asia. And most so-called right-wing dictatorships right now are Islamist or simply military ones in Africa (neither of which is supported by the US). Curtis, you’re missing the point. Chile already had a democratic government in 1973 - they had been a democracy since 1932. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-richard-nixon-that-bad/531508/166 "2010-03-25T02:24:19Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Curtis, you’re missing the point. Chile already had a democratic government in 1973 - they had been a democracy since 1932. It’s like Venezuela or Bolivia now a left-wing populist was using the mobs to strong-arm socialist policies and gradually form a dictatorship. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-richard-nixon-that-bad/531508/167 "2010-03-25T02:38:14Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > It’s like Venezuela or Bolivia now a left-wing populist was using the mobs to strong-arm socialist policies and gradually form a dictatorship. Well, even the TV network that was closed by Chavez, was closed by going to court first, never mind that it was a TV network that incited and guided the coup against Chavez. And never mind that the closing was only for using the public airways, that network \*\*still \*\*remains and continues to go against Chavez on Cable TV. Another example was that many right wingers told us that Chavez was going to send tanks to remove any newly elected governor that was not from his party, Chavez’s party lost the big one in Caracas, and I’m still waiting for almost a year for those tanks so then I could join many in condemning Chavez, but that \*bastard is so unfair, he is not sending them. \*I do think he is a bastard for many reasons but he is still not a dictator, as \*\*Brainglutton \*\*mentioned, that could change; OTOH I see the right wing ruler of Colombia as gradually becoming a dictator, but that is ok, he is on the side of the USA. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-richard-nixon-that-bad/531508/168 "2010-03-25T02:58:24Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s like Venezuela or Bolivia now a left-wing populist was using the mobs to strong-arm socialist policies and gradually form a dictatorship. So we installed a dictator to prevent the possibility that Chile might have become a dictatorship. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-richard-nixon-that-bad/531508.md?page=8)