Go forward knowing that sooner rather than later, the great avenues will open again where free men will walk to build a better society.
— Salvador Allende, from his final speech.
Today marks 40 years since the democratically elected government of Chile and its President Allende were overthrown in a US-backed coup that resulted in Allende’s death. Countless thousands of people were executed, “disappeared”, and/or tortured during Pinochet’s reign of terror that subsequently followed September 11, 1973. As Socialist World noted a few years ago:
Under the iron heel of Chile’s military dictatorship, a laboratory economic experiment was conducted. The neo-liberal policies of privatisation, open markets, de-regulation and private pension schemes were all first tested out in Chile following the coup. They were then applied in the 1980/90’s and continued in this new century, by the ruling classes internationally. The `Chicago Boys’, economic students of Milton Freidman, arrived in Chile in the aftermath of Pinochet’s coup. The military regime gave them a free hand to test out their theories. These were the policies later to be pursued by Thatcher, Reagan and other capitalist leaders.
In addition to remembering those who perished, and listening to the voices of those who survived, let us use this day as an opportunity to begin building a better world for ourselves and for our children.
Never forget.
So many of us in real time perceived the hand of the US in that theft of Chile’s democracy. But we were dismissed and lumped in with the the Roswell ET nuts.
September seems to be prime time for these events. I’m sure Haitians barely remember their president Aristide, but luckily they got to benefit from our ex-presidents and their fund-raising abilities. Did the $55 million ever get to the island?
It really is getting embarrassing to hear our president speak about the magnificence of our morality.
Opening a new chapter, we won’t look back and pass judgement on previous administrations. Some US officials will not be able to travel abroad or need to pick their countries according to possible arrest warrants. Pakistan is dubbing to take Obama to the ICC for the drone attacks and violating their sovereignty.
A pittance really in comparison with the need. But enough to pay off those US approved “elected” officials with a little left over for Baby Doc.
Oh, dear:
Pinera let his mask slip a bit there.
Another Oh, dear:
Getting tips on how to be a war criminal and win a Nobel Peace Prize?
Yeah, I was a little late to the party on that news story. And of course, given the crazy schedule the last couple days, I found myself duplicating your efforts in one of my own comments.
In “Rogue State” Blum offered a rather concise entry for Kissinger in his chapter on war criminals:
Missed this one yesterday:
War criminal architect of the other September 11 meeting with John Kerry this afternoon
and:
Kerry, Kissinger and the Other Sept. 11
Another oldie but not-so-goodie from old Henry Killinger:
Well they nixed that one. And then moved on to Australia and god only knows how many other countries.