History is written by the winners, Pinochet has outlived his victory

Judge in Chile Indicts Former Dictator Pinochet

Gen. Augusto Pinochet, the 89-year old former ruler of Chile, has been placed under house arrest and is awaiting trial in a case involving the alleged "kidnapping" of nine "dissidents" and killing one of them. Translation: Nine communists were arrested and eight of them did not get what they deserved.

There is little doubt that Gen. Pinochet saved Chile from a communist coup d'etat that would have killed far more people, just different ones. That is why the man is so hated; he stood astride the progress of tyranny and said, "not in my country." This is an intolerable affront to all progressives and he must be made an example of. Gen. Francisco Franco, the savior of Spain from bolshevism, clung to power to the end of his days and incurred much justified criticism for not returning Spain to democratic rule earlier, but it saved him from the humiliation which is now being heaped upon Pinochet. Pinochet followed a more lenient path, subjecting the continuation of his personal rule to a referendum and, when he lost, setting out to return Chile to democracy in an orderly fashion; and for this he should have been praised. And he should be honored now in the twilight of his years.