Posted on 12/02/2011 7:44:59 AM PST by Libloather
I was trying to be subtle, not looking for a Generale to save our butts, I really was meaning WE SAVE OUR OWN BUTT through R2.
Even so, I would trust our General Staff much more than the current occupier of the Whiteyhut. dem or not, they are not likely to be socialist/communist or hating America
While what Pinochet did was necessary because Allende was working to make Chile a Cuban satellite, it is a bit much to call him a hero.
The military was essentially asked by the Congress and the Supreme Court to launch a coup to stop Allende’s abuse of the Constitution. Had they simply done that an allow a civilian government to replace Allende and undo the damage Allende had caused, he would have been a hero.
But then, the junta dissolved the Congress and abolished all political parties and imposed a rotating Presidency. Pinochet then decided that the rotating presidency would start and end with himself.
He prevented Chile from becoming what Venezuela is now, but he also was a dictator of a country with a that had seen decades of peaceful constitutional government and he overthrew not just a budding dictator, but the Constitution he claimed to be protecting.
A better man than Fidel Castro? Yes, but not a real hero.
Pinochet did what he had to do, just like Franco in Spain.
Chile is much better off today because of Pinochet.
If Franco had been defeated by the Leftists in the Spanish Civil War, their military would have been in tatters and they would certainly have fallen to the Nazis - and that would have had a tremendous impact on the outcome of WW2.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.