Chile Reception

The recent election of socialist Michelle Batchelet as president of Chile shows what remarkable progress that South American country has made, both in terms of restoring democracy and in advancing in human rights. Batchelet, whose family was persecuted by the Pinochet regime, bore the adversity of the situation with a very Christian act of turning the other cheek and refusing to exact any kind of revenge on her enemies. (And she's an agnostic!) All she wants is for Chile to continue going forward.

Her sense of forgiveness extends - somewhat - to the United States for its leaders having backed the 1973 coup that brought Pinochet to power and made Chile safe from communism - and for fascism. >:-( She dearly hopes, though, that American leaders realize that the Cold War mentality of absolutism - a government viewed as a case of black or white - is not a prudent foreign policy. Bad news, Señora Presidente. . . .

If Hillary ever becomes President, will she be as forgiving toward the Republicans who led the effort to impeach her husband? Hmmmmm . . .