Your idealism is amusing, but ultimately naive and self defeating. By the same token you should join the far left in condemning the U.S. in every single war it has ever fought, because there's always been at least "one case" where some of our soldiers did something to civilians that we're not proud of. By your reasoning that makes the U.S. army "murderers," and renders all the good accomplished they've accomplished in every previous war moot.
Pinochet was OK. He saved his country, at least for while. Like many heroes, he was inadequately appreciated. If he had been like the "heroes" of the left, he would have surpressed his opponents harshly, and thereby would have gained the respect of people like Jimmy Carter (the admirer of Castro, Chavez, and -- for all we know -- Mugabe).
The persecution of Pinochet shows the nature of the communistis and the hypocritical liberals (pardon the redunt expression). He had courage, though. I forgive him for being slightly rough on some opponents, most of whom received less than they would have dealt out to others, had they had the chance.
Where can I get a nice picture of Gen. Pinochet to hang on the heroes' wall of my office?
May he rest in peace.
What you call naive idealism, I call principles. Yep, they're written in stone, black and white, and I do my absolute best to uphold them. When I fail to do so, and at times I do because I'm only human, I pray to God Almighty for forgiveness. Heaven help me if I decide that moral relativism offers a better path.
By the same token you should join the far left in condemning the U.S. in every single war it has ever fought, because there's always been at least "one case" where some of our soldiers did something to civilians that we're not proud of. By your reasoning that makes the U.S. army "murderers," and renders all the good accomplished they've accomplished in every previous war moot.
Oh please. That's utter nonsense. We're all aware that the military is comprised of individuals, both good and bad. When a soldier or soldiers goes off the reservation, disobeys orders and kills an innocent, we charge those responsible and punish them appropriately. The entire U.S. Army is not to blame.
Now, if you're trying to say that Pinochet isn't personally to blame for any of the murders that are attributed to him and his regime, I'm all ears. I'm calling BS and saying that with thousands dead that there is virtually no chance that they were all killed without his direction.