[Rodney King]

Allende was elected with less than 40% of the vote. He then proceeded to confiscate property and try to bring about a Castro style revolution to Chile and then the rest of South America. Being elected, of course, does not give one unlimited rights. Allende ignored congress and the supreme court. Both asked the military to restore order to Chile. Pinochet answered the call. He single handedly saved South America from communism and the likely millions of deaths that would have resulted. That he did so at a cost of roughly 2,000 communists dead is a testament to his humanity. After gaining power, he brought about free market reforms, and when the communist threat passed, he voluntarily stepped down and handed a democracy to the Chilean people.

[Colosis]

Damn right! Give me Pinochet any day instead of Allende. He was a good man who done what had to be done to save Chile from communism.

[supremedoctrine]

What always happens in "re-assessments" like these is that the evaluations become polarized: if one's agenda needs it, one buys into the black/white myth that Good Guy Allende was murdered in the palace by the CIA/ which of course requires that Pinochet play the role of Bad Guy, another Hitler, handmaiden to American Imperialist interests,etc. etc. So NOBODY is seen with any perspective or objectivity because EVERYBODY needs to score political points.

[Stepan12]

Allende was elected with less than 40% of the vote. He then proceeded to confiscate property and try to bring about a Castro style revolution to Chile and then the rest of South America. Being elected, of course, does not give one unlimited rights. Allende ignored congress and the supreme court. Both asked the military to restore order to Chile. Pinochet answered the call. He single handedly saved South America from communism and the likely millions of deaths that would have resulted. That he did so at a cost of roughly 2,000 communists dead is a testament to his humanity. After gaining power, he brought about free market reforms, and when the communist threat passed, he voluntarily stepped down and handed a democracy to the Chilean people.

He's a hero in my book. Also, during his tenure, he was more popular than Pres. Carter (I read that in "Human Events").