What do you all think of Augusto Pinochet?

[SavetheWest]

I'm just looking into his government and heard everything about him from the left.  I know he is the anti-Christ to the Left and they call him the most evil man to govern a nation.  Was he pro-Israel, anti-Israel?  So far, hearing how much the EU and American professors hate him, seems to be a positive. 

[Ulli]

I know only about him what NWJTF is saying. This issue is interesting me too.

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

I studied him a bit in college. I know that he was an economic genius, but very repressive and brutal against the Chilean left (albeit not half as bad as Marxist tyrants were/are to their perceived opposition). I know that in his youth he somewhat admired Erwin Rommel (ys"vz), but he also wrote that he "really had no idea about what the issues of WWII were all about".

I do know that Pinochet's Chile had an alliance with Israel in the '80s.

Otherwise, I think this would be an ideal question to ask Chaim.

[Ulli]

I studied him a bit in college. I know that he was an economic genius, but very repressive and brutal against the Chilean left (albeit not half as bad as Marxist tyrants were/are to their perceived opposition). I know that in his youth he somewhat admired Erwin Rommel (ys"vz), but he also wrote that he "really had no idea about what the issues of WWII were all about".

I do know that Pinochet's Chile had an alliance with Israel in the '80s.

Otherwise, I think this would be an ideal question to ask Chaim.

Yes, I agree.

[SavetheWest]

Just posted it.

Thanks!

[briann]

I studied him a bit in college. I know that he was an economic genius, but very repressive and brutal against the Chilean left (albeit not half as bad as Marxist tyrants were/are to their perceived opposition). I know that in his youth he somewhat admired Erwin Rommel (ys"vz), but he also wrote that he "really had no idea about what the issues of WWII were all about".

I do know that Pinochet's Chile had an alliance with Israel in the '80s.

Otherwise, I think this would be an ideal question to ask Chaim.

I definetely think he's gotten a bad rap... and I hope that history doesn't judge him this way..   He was a bit like Napolean.. in that he wanted to promote economic and to some degree, social reforms... but to do this... he had to brutally crush the opposition, and suspend certain civil rights.

BUT... Chile is now an extraordinary economy... the most free by FAR in Latin America.... and this is partially due to him laying the ground work by removing the shackles of Socialism.  But the current leadership of Chile is obviously an improvement from Pinochet.

The moral is.... SOmetimes you NEED a bit of a cowboy to do what is neccesary for the greater good of a country.  Something Democrats no NOTHING about.

[SavetheWest]

I studied him a bit in college. I know that he was an economic genius, but very repressive and brutal against the Chilean left (albeit not half as bad as Marxist tyrants were/are to their perceived opposition). I know that in his youth he somewhat admired Erwin Rommel (ys"vz), but he also wrote that he "really had no idea about what the issues of WWII were all about".

I do know that Pinochet's Chile had an alliance with Israel in the '80s.

Otherwise, I think this would be an ideal question to ask Chaim.

I definetely think he's gotten a bad rap... and I hope that history doesn't judge him this way..   He was a bit like Napolean.. in that he wanted to promote economic and to some degree, social reforms... but to do this... he had to brutally crush the opposition, and suspend certain civil rights.

BUT... Chile is now an extraordinary economy... the most free by FAR in Latin America.... and this is partially due to him laying the ground work by removing the shackles of Socialism.  But the current leadership of Chile is obviously an improvement from Pinochet.

The moral is.... SOmetimes you NEED a bit of a cowboy to do what is neccesary for the greater good of a country.  Something Democrats no NOTHING about.

One thing I do know is that his opposition were outright communists.  There is no doubt that they had ties to Cuba and the 100% evil Shining Path in Peru.