Gen. Pinochet, 91, fighting for life (suffered heart attack, last rites given)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 12/3/06 | Eduardo Gallardo - ap

[Howard Jarvis Admirer]

Very true. If Pinochet had attacked Americans in his speeches as "Capitalist Exploiters", he would now be treated like a saint by the Chomsky crowd and the useful idiots. Instead, he performed a good deed by stopping Communism from destroying his country. The useful idiots here condemn him for what he had to do to stop the KGB and their sympathizers from turning Chile into a Cuban or Zimbabwe style Soviet paradise. Pinochet proves that no good deed goes unpunished.

[Melas]

I mean doing whatever is necessary to preserve our Constitutional Republic.

That's exactly the point. When you start murdering those who beat you at the polls, the Republic is already gone. Our Republic, like it or not is hinged on the democratic process. We're nothing if we cease being a free people.

[muir_redwoods]

I hope he's in great pain and terrified. He should be.

[trumandogz]

Yes, the Chileans did not deserve democratic rights.

[fieldmarshaldj]

You're the one talking about murder. I'm talking about preservation. When trash piles up in your house, do you remove it or do you allow it to accumulate until it's above your head ?

[fieldmarshaldj]

Indeed, he did. Some actually have the capacity to comprehend that. ;-)

[fieldmarshaldj]

I guess you're one of those who believes that document is a mutual suicide pact. Good to know.

[fieldmarshaldj]

We are only free as long as we do and support those that understand what it takes to preserve freedom. A substantial number of people in this nation, partly deliberately, partly by sheer ignorance, have no idea what the concept even means. That's how evil rises, and we must remain vigilant to defeat it -- by any means necessary.

[fieldmarshaldj]

According to the Allende apologists in this thread, apparently not. Shame on every last one of them.

[blitzgig]

Yes, the Left would love Pinochet if he had sided with the Soviet Union rather than the United States. However, we do not have to like Pinochet just because we are relieved that his actions prevented a communist takeover in Chile. Pinochet did not have to commit all the atrocities he perpetrated to keep the Soviets from seizing Chile. A lot of what he did was simply to preserve his own power.

We should not imitate the Left and choose dictators to admire simply because they oppose some of the things that we oppose.

[Churchillspirit]

Can't say I know that much about Pinochet, but Margaret Thatcher defended him, so he must have some merit.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I pray for your ignorance, sir.

[eleni121]

for a moment I thought Freerepublic had gone DU! Nightmare.

Hello??? Pinochet is a hero! In every sense of the word.

Lots of ignorance about Chile here folks.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Indeed. She knew who was an ally, and who was not. Definitely more so than some misguided souls on this thread.

[trumandogz]

Exactly, just because the Chileans exercised their democratic rights and elected Alllende it does not mean that the United States and the Chilean Military must stand by the decision of the Chilean people.

Look at the Monroe Doctrine.

The US has Veto Power over all of Latin America!

[facedown]

Bump that.

[fieldmarshaldj]

When I happened upon this thread, I was expected to find some good wishes and prayers for the General. Instead, I found nothing but sludge and hate that was more to be expected for mass-murderers like Castro and psychotic dictators like Chavez. Truly disgusting.

[eleni121]

Pinochet did not have to commit all the atrocities he perpetrated to keep the Soviets from seizing Chile.

---

You need to wean yourself off the leftist media propaganda machine. And familiarize yourself with the cold war and its struggles with the commies in Latin America.

Pinochet is a hero...to his nation especially.

[fieldmarshaldj]

So you support and approve the Allende regime ?

[Axlrose]

Prehaps a Pinochet is needed in Iraq. Some nations need strong men.