Pinochet is dead. He escaped prosecution. Civilization's failure to prosecute and imprison Pinochet is a grave injustice. That he died a free man is a black mark on America's, no, it's a black mark on Western Civilization's legacy.
In 1973, Augusto Pinochet led a US-backed coup in Chile that brought the downfall of the socialist government of Salvador Allende.
The United States supported Fascist leaders throughout the 20th Century, and we still prefer an iron-gloved dictator to a freely-elected government in any nation that possesses natural resources or cheap labor.
Pinochet was protected by the USA, UK, Spain and the rest of the western world.
Pinochet ordered the disappearances of thousand his opponents, including Americans and other non-Chileans, and tortured tens of thousands of his own people.
If you haven't seen it, see the 1982 Oscar-winning Jack Lemmon movie "Missing." See it. Really. What happened in the movie really happened to Americans, and every time we elect a Republican President this stuff happens all over again.
Pinochet was admired by Henry Kissinger, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. That should tell you a little something about the kind of man he was.
My friend, The Rabbi, writes briefly in his blog about his families' ties to the Pinochet coup; and my friend Beth, another New Yorker, spent a good deal of time explaining the Allende death to me in the mid-seventies. Allende committed suicide rather than be taken hostage by Pinochet.
Pinochet was a horrible, horrible man; and he should be remembered as a fascist murderer.
Yahoo presents the Reuters article
3 comments:
It must be noted that Salvadore Allende was a democratically elected leader. We should never forget that. Current US policy states that we should support democratically elected leaders. Let's do it - here, in Palestine, etc.
Adam
It must be noted that Salvadore Allende was a democratically elected leader. We should never forget that. Current US policy states that we should support democratically elected leaders. Let's do it - here, in Palestine, etc.
Adam
Duly noted!
Current US marketing is that we should support democratically elected leaders.
Current US policy is actually to facilitate the Bush familiy's private acquisition of as much of the world's natural resoures as possible.
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