WSJ editorial: Egypt should hope for their own Pinochet

[© tweed]

Egyptians would be lucky if their new ruling generals turn out to be in the mold of Chile's Augusto Pinochet, who took power amid chaos but hired free-market reformers and midwifed a transition to democracy.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324399404578583932317286550.html#articleTabs=article

[The Simpsons Cinematic Universe]

Whoever wrote this should just go jump off the nearest cliff, right now.

Even if you're the dark lord of the economic right, who believes that the fire department should be privatized, wishing for a death toll of hundreds of thousands of people is in terrible taste.

[Lumine]

Right.... As if Pinochet decided to let go of power just because he thought it was the right thing to do. And, oh, while we are at it, those same Egyptian generals should create a small personality cult, break diplomatic ties with the Philippines, hide a couple of Nazi war criminals and stage the assassination of a politician right in the middle of Washington D.C.

Now, being serious, even if he were strictly speaking about economics, there were several massive blunders made by our military government, like privatizing just about everything. I defend some of their policies when I see the hypocrisy of the left and the extreme right here in Chile, but suggesting that this is the right way to for for Egypt is just outright stupid.

[ag]

It is already mentioned in the other thread.

WSJ editorial editors should hope, nobody spits into their mugs. But I would be sincerely delighted if their hopes are frustrated.

[Famous Mortimer]

The Egyptian government, regardless of who was in power, has been fairly neo-liberal since Sadat.

Additionally, the reason for the initial Arab Spring was economic inequality.

So, yeah, stupid.

[Lief 🗽]

"Midwifed a transition to democracy."

It's almost admirable the extent to which these people twist words to whitewash history.

[Hash]

"Midwifed a transition to democracy."

It's almost admirable the extent to which these people twist words to whitewash history.

Is it word twisting as much as it is stupid, uneducated journalists with no actual knowledge of history?

[DC Al Fine]

I would prefer Pinochet to the Islamists

[Lief 🗽]

"Midwifed a transition to democracy."

It's almost admirable the extent to which these people twist words to whitewash history.

Is it word twisting as much as it is stupid, uneducated journalists with no actual knowledge of history?

I guess that is the scarier interpretation, yeah.

[Cory]

I know from experience that this kind of thinking is typical amongst "country club" conservatives. I knew someone once who was from Chile and a staunch supporter of the coup (and rather wealthy). They have this mentality that these kinds of things "need" to happen.