The second amendment to the Constitution say that "We The People" will make that choice. If Pinochet were a true totalitarian Chile would not be a democracy today. He saved Chile from Marxism! If he desired a military totalitarian dictatorship Chile would not be free today. He was a patriot and a Jaded Mandarin.
Exactly: and the same can be said for the Spanish Republic (yeah they were supported by Hitler-blah( evil), but at least they were anti-communist). It later turned Parliamentarian..!
Pinochet was a Hero, as are many fine anti-communist/leftist South Americans..
We should have emulated him in Iraq rather than on insisting upon "democracy", it would have made our job much easier in the long run/IMO!.