Rethinking Pinochet: In Praise of Strength

American Thinker ^ | 17 Dec, 2020 | Jay Schalin

[MtnClimber]

The Chilean coup of 1973 offers hard lessons that many will not accept because these lessons do not appeal to superficial norms of fairness and tolerance.

Almost nobody is more reviled by the international intelligentsia and media than the late Augusto Pinochet, the late 20th -century Chilean dictator. He holds a prominent position in the political left’s “rogues’ gallery” comprised of those who stood in opposition to their goals.

His supposed “crimes” included conducting a military coup to illegitimately grab control of the Chilean government from a popularly elected president, rounding up and torturing huge numbers of innocent citizens (killing as many as 80,000 in the process) and corruptly stealing vast sums of money while ruling as a dictator.

But many of those claims are either false or exaggerated -- most credible estimates of those killed are below 5,000 -- or they must be viewed in context. More important, if we raise the examination of Pinochet from the bitter soil of leftist ressentiment to the question of human flourishing, he appears as one of recent history’s shining lights.

Context can be crucial when judging a historical event, and that is certainly true of the Chilean coup of 1973.

[MtnClimber]

Free helicopter rides for ANTIFA and BLM?

[nonliberal]

Given the current state of government, throwing leftists out of helicopters doesn’t sound like a bad idea.

[FLT-bird]

I LOVED his program of giving free helicopter rides to Commies.

[BobL]

I never needed to ‘rethink’ Pinochet. I had heard his name, followed by screaming at ESU, so I went to the library and read about the situation there. What he did was EXACTLY what was needed, and it saved the country from becoming another Cuba.

[TimSkalaBim]

The lesson learned by leftists in this case is: Must not ignore the military when demoralizing/undermining/corrupting the institutions of the target society.

[MtnClimber]

I am afraid you are right. They did not learn a lesson, they adjusted their tactics.

[nathanbedford]

Hollywood chipped in to help create the anti-Pinochet myth with the movie, missing, starring Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek: Missing (1982 film)

Missing was theatrically released on February 12, 1982 to critical acclaim and modest commercial success, grossing $16 million on a $9.5 million budget. The film premiered at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival where it was jointly awarded the Palme d'Or (along with the Turkish film Yol), while Lemmon won the Best Actor prize. It received four nominations at the 55th Academy Awards; Best Picture, Best Actor (for Lemmon), Best Actress (for Spacek) and won Best Adapted Screenplay. The film created significant controversy in Chile and was banned during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship, even though neither Chile nor Pinochet is ever mentioned by name (although the Chilean cities of Viña del Mar and Santiago are).[4]

And so we see once again how all the fingers of the left work together, this time rewriting history on film.

[shaven_llama]

> I never needed to ‘rethink’ Pinochet. I had heard his name, followed by screaming at ESU, so I went to the library and read about the situation there. What he did was EXACTLY what was needed, and it saved the country from becoming another Cuba.

Trying to ‘work within the system’ has led us to a stolen election.

[riri]

I dream of Pinochet.

[elteemike]

https://townhall.com/columnists/humbertofontova/2019/02/02/venezuela-desperately-needs-a-pinochet-n2540641

“...history proves that Castro-Commies cannot be defeated with “referendums,” international “tsk, tsks,” and finger-wagging...sorry.” From linked article...A lesson patriots here should well heed...

Humberto Fontova on Pinochet...Short but enlightening...

[In_Iowa_not_from]

If you must be ruled by a dictator, choose a right wing dictator. They remove the leftist impediments to balanced government budgets and economic prosperity. Reference: Chile, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Spain, etc.

[sauropod]

Review

[Salman]

This article says things I have thought all along.

We may need our own Pinochet.

[MtnClimber]

Thanks for the link. Interesting reading especially in light of how badly Pinochet has been portrayed in what has been fake media long before the name was applied to it.

[elteemike]

Allende and his Commie Castro-ite associates were planning on having a Katyn Forest-type event for Pinochet and his conservative officer corps, before “Mi General” stole a march on them, and took out the Leftist trash...

Kinda like the purge FUBO had on the generals and admirals at the Pentagon, except nobody got shot (that we know of)...

[rollo tomasi]

[MtnClimber]

That is really funny!!!

[rlmorel]

I have been wondering just how terrible Pinochet was, given that all his hysterical detractors are Leftists, who LIE like like a parched man drinks water.

I don’t believe a single word that comes out of their mouths, so I am prepared to evaluate Pinochet on the basis of an impartial observer.

How I despise the Left and everything that issues from their polluted, stinking pie-holes.

[rlmorel]

I have suspected that what their characterization of Pinochet exactly parallels their treatment of Joseph McCarthy and soon their treatment of President Trump.

• Carthago delenda est
  
  
• McCarthy delenda est
  
  
• Nixon delenda est
  
  
• Pinochet delenda est
  
  
• Trump delenda est