That's not at the center of the argument here, it being economic, but sure, let's discuss it. How many people has Cuba, which was the model for Chilean socialism, imprisoned, and killed? It's far higher. While still nowhere like Stalinism, which in fairness to Allende it looked unlikely to become, Cuban socialism is pretty grim.

I sometimes defend Pinochet, mostly economically. So do millions of other Chileans. I'd guess about half. Hell, I know people who had champagne ready for when the coup came about. Did people die? Yes. Lawfully? No. But Allende's government had already been declared illegal by the Chilean Supreme Court, and was rapidly turning into Cuban-style communism. Pinochet didn't make the stakes higher than they already were.

And economically, which was what we were talking about, again, it was a case of taxing less and spending less that worked very well.

Just out of personal curiosity, what do you think of Castro?

To be fair, people defend Hitler on economic policy. Richard Koo (who got famous for his comparisons of the financial crisis to lessons from Japan) said something along the lines of Germany under Hitler unfortunately being the only European country with a successful economic policy at the time.

I'd have to dig a bit for the link to his speech though, it was a few years ago.

If there is a good counter to this discussion of the Shock Doctrine, I'd be interested: http://www.cato.org/blog/johan-norberg-vs-naomi-klein-round-...

(Besides, 3000 dead and 27000 incarcerated and many of those tortured -- sounds like a left regime rounding error... :-) )

Please do not joke about rounding errors. It is offensive:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/the-pinochet-affair-i-saw-...

It was during the first three days they were held captive that Mr Schesch and his wife became aware of the lines of people being formed up and then led out of the stadium - almost certainly to concentration camps - or else inside, to face the firing squad.

Sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I seriously think black humor is a good tool to give perspective -- the left around where I grew up pushed tens of millions of dead under the carpet. (E.g. the stories from volunteers that left for Soviet in the 30s were oppressed until well after 1989.)

3000 dead is, sadly, a rounding error for the ideology that gets five percent of the vote in my home country.

Right now I'm in East Europe and shocked at the stories of how Soviet broke the back of any complaints -- just these are worse than Chile in most countries here... And mostly unknown.

It might be different where you live.

But I do agree with what you seem to imply -- one person is too many.

I only got a down vote and no references to show why my reference is wrong? Despite that all the left idealists reading this very much wants to? :-)

But it is wasted of course, no idealist changes his/her mind just because they learn that their empress is naked.