Ignore the stupid memes from internet edgelords: Augusto Pinochet was a brutal prick and a greedy trougher. But, like the also-brutal Chiang regime in Taiwan — and utterly unlike every communist dictator — Pinochet eventually relinquished power. Today, Taiwan is a free, prosperous democracy. To damn him with faint praise, Pinochet likewise put in place many of the conditions for modern Chile: ranking relatively high on multiple indices, from politics to economics.
None of that excuses Pinochet’s crimes, of course. But it says something that Chileans have soundly rejected a Great Reset-style document in favour of retaining the Pinochet-era Constitutional status quo.
Chileans have voted to resoundingly reject a new constitution to replace a charter imposed by the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet 41 years ago.
The rejection is a setback to President Gabriel Boric, who argued the document would have ushered in a new progressive era.
Which is probably why they wisely rejected it.
Like many of the worst leaders in the democratic world at the moment, Boric is a wet-behind-the-ears socialist. His ideas of “progress” are exactly the sort of left-wing nostrums that are being foisted on much of the Western world.
As such, the defeat of this proposed constitution is a salutary lesson for voters in Australia and New Zealand.
The proposed document was the first in the world to be written by a convention split equally between male and female delegates.
However, critics said it was too long, lacked clarity and went too far in some of its measures.
Proposals included characterising Chile as a plurinational state, establishing autonomous Indigenous territories, and prioritising the environment and gender parity.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Like David Cameron with Brexit, Boric unwisely invested much of his personal political capital in the referendum.
The result deals a major blow to Mr Boric, who at 36 is Chile’s youngest-ever president.
He had tied his fortunes so closely to the new document that analysts said it was likely some voters saw the poll as a referendum on his government.
Mr Boric’s approval ratings have been plunging since he took office in March.
The ABC’s salty tears at the rejection of the “progressive” constitution are palpable in their report. What is it about the existing constitution that makes the ABC cry?
The existing constitution is a market-friendly document that favours the private sector over the state in areas like education, pensions and healthcare.
It also makes no reference to the country’s Indigenous population, which makes up almost 13 per cent of the population.
ABC Australia
No wonder the ABC are so upset.
A plebiscite two years ago indicated some momentum for change, with just 51% of voters even turning out. But Chileans overwhelmingly rejected what was offered to them this week: with nearly 90% of voters participating, the proposal was overwhelmingly rejected.
But, if we know anything about the left, it’s that they never take “f- off” for an answer.