| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Pinochet croaks |
| 2006-12-10 |
| Ex-dictator Augusto Pinochet, who ruled Chile from 1973-1990 and spent his old age fighting human rights, fraud and corruption charges, died on Sunday a week after suffering a heart attack, Chilean television reported. He was 91. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 If you a leftwing or third world dictator you get to die peacefully even if you are in exile, but save a country from communism and deliver a stable prosperous democracy, the Left will hound you to the grave. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-12-10 18:21 |
| #8 Ugh! Were *there* liberal dissidents among them? Yes, invariably and tragically there were a few not deserving of the fate they met. |
| Posted by: Lancasters Over Dresden 2006-12-10 17:54 |
| #7 Gen. Pinochet's so-called "reign of terror" consisted of wiping out about 3,000 communists and their allies. Most of them, about 2,000, were killed within the first few months of his regime. Were their liberal dissidents among them? Yes, invariably and tragically there were a few not deserving of the fate they met. He prevented a Marxist-Leninist ally of the Soviets and Fidel Castro from strenghtening his strangle-hold on Chile. Gen. Pincochet allowed free market ideology and practice to flourish in Chile, and as a result, it retains Latin America's most dynamic as well as fastest growing economy. The dictator stepped down from power in 1990, ending a reign of 17 years. What came next is one of Latin America's most viable and successful democratic systems. Compare Pinochet to Fidel. The Cuban dictator came to power in January 1, 1959 and, despite promises of eventual democratic elections, held unto power until a recent bout with what appears to be intestinal cancer has rendered him hospital and bed ridden since August of 2006. During Castro's nearly 47 years of tyranny, an estimated 40,000 Cubans have been executed, with about 15,000 killed during the Revolution's first few years. Another estimated 110,000 have died trying to flee the island workers' paradise. Cuban losses in overseas military adventures -- Angola and Ethiopia -- are said to number about 12,000. That's at least 162,000 violent and/or avoidable deaths. And these are said to be low-ball figures. Some place the number closer to 200,000. Lastly, where's there any indication that Cuba is prepared to move toward a representative democracy supplemented with an independent juidiciary, a free press, and a citizenry protected by Constitutional freedoms? |
| Posted by: Lancasters Over Dresden 2006-12-10 17:52 |
| #6 No, no fat lady. On the whole, he was sucessful and did the right thing by his country, in my opinion. The Internationalistas are pissed just because he beat them at their own game. Beat them like a drum. That, and he sided with the Eeevil Amurrikkkans during the cold war. From what I have read, Allende's death spared Chile from Cuber's fate. Allende was a Marxist people! All of you here at the 'burg know perfectly well what happens when the Marxists/Socialists/Tranzis get in charge. And to think, the same bunch that wants to bomb the snot out of the muzzies whine about a few lefty poli-sci types getting shot! |
| Posted by: N guard 2006-12-10 16:20 |
| #5 What, no fat lady? |
| Posted by: gromky 2006-12-10 16:06 |
| #4 "at the very least six times more people than Pinochet" Try 30 times more. The problem with Pinochet was he sent too many people into exile instead of killing them. This left them alive to testify against him. (Unlike the Argentinian Generals who would wipe out entire families . . . and were never prosecuted as a result.) Al |
| Posted by: frozen al 2006-12-10 15:52 |
| #3 Expect plenty of aticles lamnting he died unpunished. When Castro will die expect pleeeenty of articles laudating him despite the fact he has killed AT THE VERY LEAST six times more people than Pinochet and that without counting the collateral dead caused by Castro running Cuban economy into the ground. |
| Posted by: JFM 2006-12-10 14:26 |
| #2 Is he completely dead or just mostly dead? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2006-12-10 14:17 |
| #1 And will never be cold again. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2006-12-10 13:12 |