75. Thomas Hauser - Missing
Jun. 1st, 2001 11:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gerbieA real story about an American who got killed in the coup in Santiago de Chile, that killed Allende in the early seventies. Apparently the book has been made into a film, though I had never heard of it. I enjoy reading stories with a good political background though. This one isn't bad, it gives a lot of background about American politics.
Every time again I am amazed to read and find out that the United States gets away with so much. In this case they did everything in their power to make sure that Allende couldn't be a succesfull president. Why? Because he wanted a Chilean type of Marxism. It wasn't enough that he denounced the communist system in Eastern Europe. It didn't matter that he was a democratically voted president. As soon as the USA consider any country to be left wing, you might as well give up hope, somehow, someday they will destroy you. In Chili it took them a while. Allende actually was a succes. In his first year the economy boomed, the poor were much better of, the rich still didn't have much to complain. So far for all those die hard capitalists who always come up with the same argument 'well, we've seen that communism doesn't work'. It can work, until a huge country actively decides to do all that's in their power to make sure it will fail.
In the end the Americans did all they could apart from killing Allende themselves and invading the country. They helped the junta lead by Pinochet to come to power and supported one of the bloodiest dictators in Latin American history (and unfortunately that says a lot). How do they get away with it? Why does the whole world listen to what they have to say? Why do over 200 countries accept the power of economic numbers and military threat? Chile, Panama, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Haiti, Cuba. They all suffered American thorn at some point after the second world war. And I have probably forgotten some countries there, or some facts might not even be known. And I haven't even started the list of countries outside the America's.
Back to the book. Factual we get a summary about the main character who happened to be in the wrong plave at the wrong time. He got killed, because he knew too much. The CIA was happy to help the Chilean uprisers with the necessary information and back up, the American government didn't do anything to help his wife and relatives who had to suffer for weeks before finding out what happened, though very likely they knew what happened, probably even ordered the Chileans. For those of you in LJ-land who want to know what American politics are really like, this book is a good one. If you can't find it, there is a movie. Anything on the Chilean revolution will probably give you the details. Once more I get confirmed in my prejudices against the strongest nation in the world.
Every time again I am amazed to read and find out that the United States gets away with so much. In this case they did everything in their power to make sure that Allende couldn't be a succesfull president. Why? Because he wanted a Chilean type of Marxism. It wasn't enough that he denounced the communist system in Eastern Europe. It didn't matter that he was a democratically voted president. As soon as the USA consider any country to be left wing, you might as well give up hope, somehow, someday they will destroy you. In Chili it took them a while. Allende actually was a succes. In his first year the economy boomed, the poor were much better of, the rich still didn't have much to complain. So far for all those die hard capitalists who always come up with the same argument 'well, we've seen that communism doesn't work'. It can work, until a huge country actively decides to do all that's in their power to make sure it will fail.
In the end the Americans did all they could apart from killing Allende themselves and invading the country. They helped the junta lead by Pinochet to come to power and supported one of the bloodiest dictators in Latin American history (and unfortunately that says a lot). How do they get away with it? Why does the whole world listen to what they have to say? Why do over 200 countries accept the power of economic numbers and military threat? Chile, Panama, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Haiti, Cuba. They all suffered American thorn at some point after the second world war. And I have probably forgotten some countries there, or some facts might not even be known. And I haven't even started the list of countries outside the America's.
Back to the book. Factual we get a summary about the main character who happened to be in the wrong plave at the wrong time. He got killed, because he knew too much. The CIA was happy to help the Chilean uprisers with the necessary information and back up, the American government didn't do anything to help his wife and relatives who had to suffer for weeks before finding out what happened, though very likely they knew what happened, probably even ordered the Chileans. For those of you in LJ-land who want to know what American politics are really like, this book is a good one. If you can't find it, there is a movie. Anything on the Chilean revolution will probably give you the details. Once more I get confirmed in my prejudices against the strongest nation in the world.
