General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWall Street Journal says Egypt needs a Pinochet - WTF?
Egyptians would be lucky if their new ruling generals turn out to be in the mold of Chiles Augusto Pinochet, who took over power amid chaos but hired free-market reformers and midwifed a transition to democracy.
Presumably, this means that those who speak for the Wall Street Journal the editorial was unsigned think Egypt should think itself lucky if its ruling generals now preside over a 17-year reign of terror. I also take it the WSJ means us to associate two governments removed by generals the one led by Salvador Allende in Chile and the one led by Mohamed Morsi in Egypt. Islamist, socialist elected, legitimate who cares.
David__77
(23,503 posts)Morsi was no Allende, that's for sure.
pscot
(21,024 posts)and a controlling religious elite that valued order. There are 91 million Egyptians and no one's in charge, except the Army. If I were Obama, I'd lay back and see what the military try to do. Maybe buy some time to sort things out.
gollygee
(22,336 posts)Read The Shock Doctrine. Or read about it or watch the short documentary about it.
Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)...which is what Pinochet was. A fascist.
Fascism is a form of radical authoritarian nationalism that came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe. Fascists seek to unify their nation through a totalitarian state that promotes the mass mobilization of the national community, relying on a vanguard party to initiate a revolution to organize the nation on fascist principles. Hostile to liberal democracy, socialism, and communism, fascist movements share certain common features, including the veneration of the state, a devotion to a strong leader, and an emphasis on ultranationalism and militarism. Fascism views political violence, war, and imperialism as a means to achieve national rejuvenation and asserts that stronger nations have the right to obtain land and resources by displacing weaker nations.
Catherina
(35,568 posts)Pinochet? Really? With heroes like that is it any wonder that leaders who actually improve their people's lot like Chavez, Correa, Morales, Noriega etc... are reviled by the US press.
think
(11,641 posts)killbotfactory
(13,566 posts)HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)Allende was democratically elected. He was leading a recovering economy that was doing much better than other South American nations. Pinochet led a bloody coup. He tortured and killed thousands. He brought in Chicago School economists to reform the economy, and promptly put it in the tank. He was backed by the Nixon WH, notably Henry Kissinger, and the CIA. It figures the WSJ would hold him up as a model...a real neo-con dream team.