Videla V. Franco. Dictator Thunderdome!

[ajoknoblauch]

And let's not forget that pig, Masera.
I have a tale to tell about him.

Comparing Massera to a pig is an insult to swine everywhere.

 

[germano]

As Bachelet's 1st mandate showed, there are deeper structural problems that will take more political will to change than she mustered the first time.

There might me more necessary than just political will from Bachelet. If you take a closer look at the institutions in Chile you can see that the binomial voting system almost always results in very slim majorities with about half the parliament seats for Concertación and the other half for Alianza. Also the two coalitions were formed by the pro-/anti-pinochet cleavage resulting in the Concertación having a wider political spectrum from Christian Democrats to Socialists - which combined with the slim majority makes it difficult to make the necessary changes.

 

[wineguy999]

Hey BAexers!

We just got back from a couple months in Spain and I hope to be starting a few threads on some of the comparisons between here and there to get your collective pearls of wisdom.

First off the bat is this pic below of a poster we saw splattered everywhere in Madrid. (Trans: The left only talks, WE DID IT. For education, public health, public housing and social security)


Mrs EdRooney axed the astute question: Can you imagine how this would go over in BA if you replaced Franco's mug with Videla's? It's kind of apples to oranges, but since you are the smartest and best-looking people we know, I'd love to get your thoughts on how the two populations view their respective pasts.

Besos!

Ed

Is Franco still dead? I aways wonder...
-Chevy Chase

 

[Gringoboy]

In a nutshell.
Whilst my Dad was naval attache here during the early years of the Videla dictatorship, he dragged me and my sister to a cocktail party at some embassy.
Masera was there surrounded by grovelling lieutenants, spotted my sister who was only 19 and very beautiful, sent over his flags to get her telephone number to invite her to his place...........
My Dad quickly stepped in, whispered something in the flag's shell like, who then scuttled back to his master.
My sister of course was a little flattered. My Dad wasn't.

 

[EdRooney]

Just another note on the difference: Argentine judge María Severini de Cubría is trying to extradite defendants accused of human rights abuses under Franco, but has been blocked by the current Spanish government. Going back to the "South Leading the Way" argument, in this regard the Latin Americans are showing themselves far more civilised than the Spanish, since they are at least confronting their past and trying to set legal precedents for it never to occur again.