Bolivia Question

[jeron]

Yes I remember the economic chaos and civil war into which Chile succumbed in the 1970s. The economic disaster that Allende caused is, I find, enough reason to support the coup. However, Allende and the Popular Unity were far more dangerous than that.

This is exactly what is wrong with conservatives warmongers in the US. They think they have the right to overthrow democratically chosen governments in other parts of the world, where they have in fact no business whatsoever.

There was an article in the Times a few years ago: How weak Allende was left in the cold by the KGB.(http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article568154.ece?token=null&offset=12). Here's a quote from it:
"In the KGB’s view, Allende's fundamental error was his unwillingness to use force against his opponents. Without establishing complete control over all the machinery of the State, his hold on power could not be secure."

Unfortunately the KGB was right.

[jeron]

Yes I remember the economic chaos and civil war into which Chile succumbed in the 1970s. The economic disaster that Allende caused is, I find, enough reason to support the coup. However, Allende and the Popular Unity were far more dangerous than that.

This is exactly what is wrong with conservatives warmongers in the US.

Mind it, the lefties and ultra-righties are usually equally wrong. I don't mind certain types of foreign intervention. In any case, this particular case was, first and foremost a domestic coup, conducted for domestic reasons (and only indirectly a US-supported action). 

It is a matter up for debate how much the US was actually involved in the coup. What we do know is that Kissinger and Nixon didn't want Allende to become president and that they tried in vain to influence the outcome of the presidential election. There were plans by the CIA to overthrow him and the US administration tried to weaken his governement which eventually facilitated the coup. Even after the CIA knew of human rights abuses under the Pinochet regime, it still cooperated with the Chilean secret service.