Pinochet-Death of a Bastard

I hope it was slow and painful. Here's a man who overthrew, with American backing, a DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED Socialist government. Saddam and he had a lot in common. Both had firm American backing. Both silenced the opposition. Both tortured political prisoners. Both killed political prisoners. Both created mass graves.

But Pinochet was smarter. He rarely miscalculated, and not only was his anti-Communist ideology panacea to Washington's ears in the 1970s but he also embraced Milton Friedman's free market philosophy. And capitalism is something Washington likes to see overseas, so their MNCs can extract huge pofits from compliant governments. Friedman was happy to deal with the butcher so as to test his Economic philosophies. Ironic that they both died so close to each other. I hope they both burn rather slowly in Hell together. The triumvirate will be complete soon-Margaret Thatcher can't be hanging around for too much longer.

But the threat of the 'Red tide' in Latin America receeded in the 80s; this coupled with Glasnost and Perestroika made Pinochet redundant and when he allowed a 2nd referendum to have him stay in power for another 8 years (in 1988 I believe) he was shocked to see his plan rejected by the people. Over the years he has become increasingly marginalised, and his arrest in England on Garzon's now infamous international warrant has created a new climate of respect for international law, despite Blair government's shameful cheating of the system to get him back to Chile.

He never had to answer his accusers, and sometimes that might look like a case of him getting away scot-free but since 1988 he has increasingly lost power, friends and influence. The bigger you are, the harder you fall. I am sure he died a beaten man. May his last few breaths have been terribly constricted. I really hope he was begging to die. There are at least 3000 people who died at his power crazy hands. Perhaps Musharraf, the Thai military and Bainimarama should take note of this as well.