tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578371747306434371.post7349014595558501861..comments2010-03-18T10:24:42.230-07:00Comments on R.C. in South America: Day 0: Delayed in SeattleR.C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02718480899411993528noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2578371747306434371.post-13432229526967964922010-03-12T09:51:02.370-08:002010-03-12T09:51:02.370-08:00It's easy to criticize the Pinochet era for it...It's easy to criticize the Pinochet era for its human rights abuses, but some Chileans (of course the wealthier ones), feel like there were gains for Chile during that time, economically and in terms of its stability. The husband of Richard and my Spanish teacher in Chile was in the Navy under Pinochet. They are a split right/left household and are able to discuss the vagaries and complexities of Chile's political history openly. In fact, we found that most of the Chileans we talked to, right and left, were able and willing to intelligently discuss their complex political history. It was refreshing compared to discussions of politics in the US, which are always ideologically loaded and high-stakes, even among friends. For people coming from a liberal perspective, imagine a discussion about some good coming from the Bush era--unimaginable.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13701764244900366194noreply@blogger.com