Former Chilean dictator Pinochet dies at 91

**Ronin** · 12-10-2006, 19:54

CNN Story

does it make a difference that the bastard managed to stay out of court?

discuss...

**Banquo's Ghost** · 12-10-2006, 20:21

Hell.org has a new Senior Member.

It's a major pity for Chile that he was never brought to justice. It makes it harder to move on, but the knowledge that he had embezzled many millions took the shine off him for even his most ardent supporters.

It's one of those times I wish I believed in Hell.

**Lemur** · 12-10-2006, 21:42

Pinochet was bad, but there have been worse, far worse. For some reason this is reminding me of Marquez's book, The Autumn of the Patriarch.

**Tribesman** · 12-11-2006, 00:54

I do like the comment from the White House spokesman

``Our thoughts today are with the victims of his reign and their families. We commend the people of Chile for building a society based on freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights.''

do you think they may just possibly be suffering from a memory deficiency there .

but the knowledge that he had embezzled many millions took the shine off him for even his most ardent supporters.

His star still shone brightly for Maggie Thatcher

**Ronin** · 12-11-2006, 01:03

Originally Posted by Banquo's Ghost

It's one of those times I wish I believed in Hell.

couldn´t have put it better myself

**rory_20_uk** · 12-11-2006, 01:45

Yup, a bastard. But 3,000 is nothing compared to many other "leaders".

And which countries put him there in the first case? Same one that helped Baptista along with a myriad of others. Realpolitik is all very well and good, but to then take the moral high ground as well is a bit much.

**JimBob** · 12-11-2006, 01:58

The worst part is that the US supported Pinochet. But then we have supported almost every tin-pot SOB south of the border.

**AntiochusIII** · 12-11-2006, 03:57

Originally Posted by JimBob

The worst part is that the US supported Pinochet. But then we have supported almost every tin-pot SOB south of the border.

Neocon hypocrisy.

No wonder those down there despise the USA so much. Ah well. Don't wake up, Pinochet.

**BigTex** · 12-11-2006, 07:17

Good riddance there's a special place in hell's toilet for him. Horrible person, wonderful day though, I hope this get's turned into a holiday for the Chilian's.

As for supporting him. It was our policy back then. We wanted to keep foriegn influences out of the America's. Sad that it sometimes meant supporting horrible people.

discuss...

Remain seated...

**Scurvy** · 12-11-2006, 19:04

Originally Posted by JimBob

The worst part is that the US supported Pinochet.

I'm not sure i like all this "i'm happy he died" stuff though, death is never good

**Soulforged** · 12-12-2006, 00:37

Originally Posted by Scurvy

I'm not sure i like all this "i'm happy he died" stuff though, death is never good

On the other side of the world you'll find people with the same idea, but only because they had the hope that Pinochet would finally reveal were are their missing relatives and parents.

Originally Posted by Alexander the Pretty Good

I wonder if Castro will receive the same denouncement when he finally kicks the bucket. As far as I can see, he's a worse offender than Pinochet - at least Pinochet stepped down, sort of.

No, he won't. In this side of the planet he'll receive a modarate praise. But Pinochet has also his support, even inside Chile, as we've our own supporters of the Junta here also. The arguement of this people is usually that the dictators didn't order the illegal enprisonments, the tortures and the killings at the rate "other people" say they did. For example here (with one of the greatest numbers) the number of missing people reaches 76.000, in Chile I believe it's 5.000, however in both cases they say that the number is not greater than 3.000. Some people also deny the sistematic character of this processeses.

One thing is truth, however, in both cases the dictatorships brought a new culture to both countries, the human rights culture.

Originally Posted by Banquo's Ghost

He benefitted a certain class in Chile, for sure - and it can be argued that his economic policies set the country up to be one of the most prosperous in South America.

Yes that's truth. Here the same thing happened, only that the benefitted class in my country were the land owners (between others, like the Catholic Church), wich didn't improve the economy at all. But Chile benefitted more by allying themselves with USA and Great Britain.

There's one thing that repulses me more about Pinochet than any other thing, he never recognized that what he had done was morally wrong, he never asked for the forgiveness of the thousands of people suffering in his country, instead he went to England and was received with open arms by the political class. At least Tatcher did thank him for his support. Seeing him say that he had nothing to regret the other night was pathetic and I almost puke also.