I was rereading my post on Chileans rejecting their proposed new leftism-infused constitution and had an insight to share with you. I remembered the revolution that ousted leftist Allende and brought Pinochet to power.
People will tell you that was the CIA’s doing, which greatly exaggerates their influence. They had at most a few people in Chile none of whom did anything dramatic or decisive.
Allende was overthrown by middle-class Chileans in their thousands banging on pots and marching in the streets. About all our spooks could do was assure their leaders that the US would recognize their new, more conservative government, and perhaps provide minor funding.
So much for the history lesson, my recent insight was this. Those middle class Chileans are still there and, as a direct result of the free-market reforms Pinochet put in place, their numbers have grown substantially.
Middle classes tend toward conservatism. What they just did with the recent constitutional vote was reaffirm the anti-communist stand they’d taken against Allende.
Apparently most Chileans felt they had more to lose than to gain from the proposed document. Perhaps the drafters of the next proposed constitution will curb their enthusiasm for sweeping, redistributive change and retain positive economic aspects of the existing Pinochet-tainted constitution?
