THE RECORD
September 11, 2002
Editor's Corner
It has been one year today since the Saudi Arabian
terrorists attacked New York City and Washington DC.
The last week or so the television has been buzzing
with commemorative programming, and the US propaganda
machine has been working overtime building up the
importance of the event and turning it into some sort
of national holy day. September 11 will be forever
etched in our minds, they say, along with the Alamo,
the Maine and Pearl Harbor. Perhaps they just find
it a convenient distraction to keep our minds off of
more serious matters.
Well, September 11 is a day to remember, but not just
September 11, 2001. September 11, 1973 is also worth
recalling, probably more so than last year's
incident. It was on that day that the Chilean
Fascists with the help of the US government overthrew
their democratically elected government in a violent
coup, butchering thousands and setting into motion a
reign of terror and torture that lasted for years.
Instead of some Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein or
other radical type terrorizing innocent civilians, it
was the agents of the Nixon administration
culminating 15 years of nasty, dirty tricks in the
South American republic.
The dirty tricks started in 1958 when it appeared
that Salvador Allende, a social democrat, had a
chance at forming government. Over the years money
was poured in to the country for black propaganda,
fear mongering and support of politicians and others
willing to toe the line of US business interests in
the country.
Despite this effort Allende's support grew, and in
1970 he won the election. This brought about attacks
by the US on the Chilean economy to cause unrest and
destabilize the government. The plan was to upset
the voters and capture a significant anti-Allende
majority in the 1973 congressional elections.
Instead, his government gained in popularity. It was
this growing popularity that triggered the coup to
take control where open elections had failed.
Why was it that the US wanted to subvert democracy
and eliminate Salvador Allende? He raised wages, he
increased the income tax deduction, he eliminated
capital taxes for small businesses and increased
public works projects to reduce unemployment. He
raised the income for pensioners and extended labour
insurance to small businesses, provided free milk to
children and increased industrial productivity. What
he also did was nationalize the mining companies,
banks and strategic industries, and institute
agrarian reform, putting more people on the land.
His crime was twofold, getting in the way of wealthy
landowners and multinational corporations, and
proving that socially responsible economic planning
could work. It made him a target for the US
terrorists.
In the years that followed Allende's overthrow the US
regime tortured and killed many. Special units of
the military traveled the country rounding up,
brutalizing and executing suspected dissidents, both
Chileans and foreigners. Like in Argentina and other
Latin American nations many people were disappeared,
leaving some families still looking today to find out
what became of their loved ones. This all done with
the knowledge and often assistance of the US
government.
September 11 should be a holiday, but not just to
remember the few who died in the suicide attack in
New York and Washington. It should be a day to
remember all terrorism and those who are responsible
for it. It should be a day to remember the innocent
people of Chile who lost their lives at the hands of
US supported terrorism, and thousands of others
throughout the world who have similarly suffered.
And, as we remember the heroes of last September, we
should also remember those brave people who stood up
to repression and struggled daily for years in the
face of US sponsored terror.
Jerry West
Copyright © 2002, West's International
-- Jerry West THE RECORD Editor/Publisher/Janitor http://www.island.net/~record
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