Well put.

Interesting take on Pinochet's economic machinations here:

http://www.gregpalast.com/tinker-bell-pinochet-and-the-fairy-tale-miracle-of-chile-2#more-1551

- enjoy! -

Maybe Kerrs constitutional coup went down without bloodshed only because australians are too dim to realise what happened or too spineless to do anything about it?

Fascists naturally want to portray Pinochets bloody coup and barbaric regime as somehow justified, it helps them fake humanity to themselves and their families. At least the fawning by Margaret Thatcher & Ronnie Reagan on General Pinochet made their feelings on torture, rape, and murder clear, but i'm still naive enough to be surprised by Mr Flints historical revisionism, taken straight from the script by US 'Special Attache for Death Squads' Negroponte.

Jesus Chris!

The article reads like what Margaret Thatcher did to Britain and what John Howard is doing to Australia!

Laim,

Right on again !

Pinochet engaged in a military takeover of an elected government which, based on local elections a year prior, was becoming more popular. For Marxists it was proof that parliamentary democracy was a sham. For supporters of parliamentary democracy it was an inexcusable problem.

Whilst much is made that Allende achieved a plurality of the Presidential vote, not a majority, it is worth recognising that the third place Chrisitain Democrat Radomiro Tomic (with 27.9%) of the vote had a very similar programme and endorsed Allende's election. The preference of the Chilean people cannot be disputed under these circumstances.

Allende's programme included nationalisation of the copper industry, land reform and education reform. Allende's economic program was very successful in the first year with massive economic growth and a collapse in unemployment, but faltered in following years as the copper prices plummeted in the world market (50%+ of the nation's exports).

Was Pinochet's economic model a success? Some do not think so.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/HL06Dj01.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile_under_Pinochet#Economy__and_Free_Market_reforms

Maybe "only", 3000 people were killed. But tens of thousands were taken away in the night, tortured, and abused. The Latin American Institute on Mental Health and Human Rights (ILAS), claims a figure of 200,000 Chileans experienced "situations of extreme trauma".

But of course, one can't prevent democratic socialism without breaking a few eggs, right?