[chilepepper]

Chile is the true success story of South America -- this is Pinochets' true legacy. He actually tried the economics that Milton Friedman expoused.

Living here, I can unequivocally state that if Allende had stayed in power, the Communists would STILL BE HERE. Chile is very much like an island, so the parallels with Cuba are very strong.

Pinochet was no saint, and he overstayed his welcome. If he had left power after 5 or 10 years, he would be wildly popular today (as opposed to just wildly popular with a significant fraction of the population)...

He did, however, leave power without a fight, albeit reluctantly -- Castro and Chavez are the real dictators, and they will never leave power on their own.

[Cuttnhorse]

My friends here in Chile are always telling me that were it not for Pinochet, Chile would be another third-world crap hole with a wrecked economy like all of its neighbors. The biggest grief I get about Pinochet is from North Americans and Europeans that I work with.