Free Chile Pages & Chile List ads for all registered users!       Log In
Leftist Chilean "Clowns" should Apologize for Allende, their Ruinous Ideology and their Stupid Policies

Leftist Chilean "Clowns" should Apologize for Allende, their Ruinous Ideology and their Stupid Policies

     September 11th marks the 40th anniversary of the coup d’etat that removed socialists and communists from power in Chile. Chileans remain sharply divided over this event. Not surprisingly, the Chilean press has been abuzz this week (and will be for the next two weeks) with stories related to it. Nearly all Chilean libertarians that I know support what Pinochet did, even with some reservations. Living under communism is simply a bad deal and whatever it takes to be rid of communists is worth doing.
     In his famous treatise on economics, Human Action: A Treatise on Economics, Ludwig von Mises says that countries that have rejected the capitalist system, “may result in social disintegration, chaos, and misery for the peoples” (p. 860, 4th ed.). I just finished a week of classes in which my students did a little bit of research to find essential facts regarding the 350 million noncombatants killed by their own governments in the Twentieth Century–almost all of these states being led by communist and leftist interventionists such as Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler, Mao Tse-tung, Lenin, et al. It is not enough to call these interventionist monsters “economic clowns” (view image source), or to attribute some foul word to them. No word is sufficient to describe just how evil they were, although “nefarious” comes closest. If it were not for Augusto Pinochet, Chile’s George Washington, we can be sure that socialist President Salvador Allende would have led Chile to the misery, hardship and death by the hand of the interventionist state that Mises so aptly and correctly describes. 


    Nevertheless, the Left wants the Right (including its libertarians or neoliberales) to apologize for Pinochet, the man who saved Chile from such a plight. I will not defend any human rights abuses of innocent people, but I will defend any violation of the vile rapacious communists and socialists who have preyed on humanity, including Chileans, through implementing their nefarious ideologies. These ideologues are not innocent, and their comrades across the globe have been known for having a bloody, destructive and cruel heritage in common. Contrary to what the Chilean Left wants from the Chilean Right, I think that the Left should apologize for implementing and plaguing Chile with its destructive interventionist doctrine, leaving Chile with only one solution in 1973: Pinochet. Furthermore, the Left is thus ultimately responsible for any and all bad consequences that resulted from the Pinochet dictatorship. Sure, men are responsible for the evil that they do, but without the bad ideology such men would never have come to have authority.

     What would Chile be like now had it not been for the successful coup d’etat on September 11, 1973 that eliminated the scourge of interventionism? Consider the disastrous cases of countries like Bolivia, Argentina and Cuba to get an idea. I was not in Chile between 1973 and 1996, but during the last two decades, I have seen the wonderful results of economic freedom in this country. In a single generation poverty has plummeted, real wages have risen for everyone, the middle class has become much larger, unemployment and inflation rates remain low, and Chile’s economic future is certainly optimistic. Privatization, low taxes, reduced regulation, and greater reliance on market forces instead of interventionism have worked well for Chile. After 40 years, we should remember fondly the brave men who slew the dragon, ridding Chile of misery, poverty, devastation, and death–all the common fruits of interventionism and socialism. History will someday vindicate their heroic acts that saved the country and brought it relative prosperity. Unlike Bolivians, Cubans and Argentines, many Chileans have wised-up to what socialism and interventionism are really all about, and do not want to repeat the folly of Allende-era policies. Socialism changes little, and is still bad no matter what North American and European leftists say to the contrary. 
     Let us commemorate 40 years of freedom, and at the same time celebrate the blessings of not being in the miserable condition of our neighbors Bolivia and Argentina–and the rest of the world afflicted by socialist policies–having been cheated by a vile ideology. If you are from North America or Europe, do not be misled (by the influence of exiled leftists) and think that Pinochet was evil. He redeemed Chile. And if you can stomach a slaveholder like Thomas Jefferson, then you should be able to tolerate the imperfections of Pinochet, without whom there would be no free Chile to talk about today. If blame is to be placed for abuses, then let us put it squarely where it belongs: on the shoulders of the Left.

     Chile needs more freedom-minded people who can live here and provide feedback, opinions and input into an intrinsically interventionism-minded society. Come help make Chile the new “land of the free.” Help Chileans see the virtue of liberty by your example, your industry, your integrity and you activism. Your place of refuge in Chile is in Freedom Orchard. Start there and start a new life in Chile!

Be sure to tune in to Dr. Cobin’s radio program: “Red Hot Chile” at noon (ET) on Fridays on the Overseas Radio Network (ORN). You can login at www.overseasradio.com. You can also join the thousands of other people who download the shows each month via the link provided on the ORN website.

     Dr. Cobin’s book, Life in Chile: A Former American’s Guide for Newcomers, is the most comprehensive treatise on Chilean life ever written, designed to help newcomers get settled in Chile. He covers almost ever topic imaginable for immigrants. This knowledge is applied in his valet consulting service (see http://www.chile-consulting.cl), where he guides expatriates through the process of finding a place to live and settle in Chile, helping them glide over the speed bumps that they would otherwise face in getting their visas, setting up businesses, buying real estate, investing in Chilean stocks or gold coins, etc. The cost is $49. If you have problems getting the book through the Overseasradio.com site, since the ORN Store is sometimes closed for maintenance, please use the PayPal info noted below.
     Dr. Cobin’s sequel book, Expatriates to Chile: Topics for Living, adds even further depth on important topics to expatriates who either live in Chile already or who have Chile on the short list of countries where they hope to immigrate. The book deals with crucial issues pertaining to urban and rural real estate transactions, natural disasters, issues pertaining to emigration and its urgency, money and the quality of life, medical care and insurance, business opportunities, social manifestations (including welfare state and divorce policy concerns), Chile in the freedom indices, social maladies (lying, cheating, stealing and murder), as well as discussion of a few places worth visiting and some further comments about Santiago. Note: If the link to buy the book at the Overseasradio.com site does not appear, since the ORN Store is sometimes closed for maintenance, just send US$39 by PayPal to jcobin@policyofliberty.net and send an email or PayPal notice that you have completed your order. A download link will be sent to you directly. 
    The Overseasradio.com website also has Dr. Cobin’s abridged book (56 pages): Chile: A Primer for Expats ($19), or the little book can also be obtained directly by following the aforementioned PayPal steps.

Leave a Reply