Castro or Pinochet?

Who is/was better? Who is/was less bad?

 

Are you proposing voting one of them off the island? What do polls like this accomplish?

 

Of the two dictators Pinochet left his country in the better economic condition.

 

Neither.


So long Augusto Pinochet, Rot in hell you Son of a Bitch!

 

Who killed more people ?

 

I wish Castro could be voted off the island.

 

they were both bad...

 

Wasn't Pinochet the one who flew political prisoners in helicopters out to the ocean and then pushed them off?

 

So Motion, what are the numbers to back up this economic track record?

 

You'll probably find similar info if you look up information on Pinochet's economic record.


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" However, many credit Mr Pinochet with the economic salvation of his country and with creating the most successful economy in Latin America over the past 30 years. During his 17 years in power, advised by "the Chicago Boys", Chilean disciples of the late American economist Milton Friedman, he presided over the introduction of free market policies to control inflation, promote economic growth and boost exports. His government slashed public spending, deregulated the banks, reversed his predecessor's nationalization of key industries such as copper (many, American-owned) and privatized public enterprises, provided generous incentives for foreign investors, lowered trade barriers and united the country with highways.

It is often argued, especially in politics, that the end justifies the means. There is no doubt that under Mr Pinochet, Chile achieved a growth rate three times greater than the average for Latin America and that Chile's economic success has served as a model for other countries. But the economic data should be understood for what they represent: nothing more than an argument, never a justification for the barbarous excesses of the Pinochet years. In addition, it should be remembered that income equality in Chile is still among the highest in Latin America... "

link

 

I find a lot of editorial but not a lot of hard data.

I don't think he reversed the nationalisation of copper, this article seems to have errors.

 

Well, my problem is that I'm not a communist, so I wouldn't have got by in Castro's Cuba, but I'm enough of a 'leftist' or at least concerned enough about social justice that I would have probably been on a hit list in Pinochet's Chile. So, I'd have to choose neither.

 

This is the closes to that I could find.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Chile

 

Bernard Manning was actually worse than both pinochet or castro
they were much more of a laugh than him

 

must be a british thing...

 

You forgot Yasser Arafat.


Bastard stole all of the aid money interantional donors sent
to aid the Palestenian people.

At least castro and Pinochet stole "in-country"

 

There's pretty much nothing in there. Its hard to find data that isolates the Pinochet era.

It could be made, but it would be a pretty weak argument.

What do you think happens to opinionated, outspoken people in Cuba?

You must have incredibly low standards. Cubans gave up all their civil liberties and in return got a totalitarian state and permanent poverty.

You mean Raoul? Its already decided, the dictatorship stays in the family. There will be no dissent allowed, just like there is none allowed now. Unlike Pinochet, who handed over power to a democratically elected government, Fidel wants to keep Cuba under the Castro family thumb.

 

An article that debates the economy of Pinochet's years.

Link


A short audio on Pinochet's economic reforms.

link