> And don't omit the $8 million that the U.S. spent--in part, thru the CIA, for the
> trucker's strike and other mischief. Remember Kissinger's comment that if the
> Chilean people were so "irresponsible" as to choose a socialist government in a
> free election, appropriate measures would have to be taken?
> Joel Blau
Jim Devine's post that I was replying to referred to US and US-based
multinational corporations role and I certainly didn't intend to
ignore its multi-facted attack on UP government - symbolic threats,
economic boycott, covert action, military credits, negotiations with
Christian Democrats, close ties with right-wing, regional militarization,
international credit embargo (except for military).
US role was played out in 3 parts: attempting to prevent Allende's
victory, attempting to discredit UP gov't producing future electoral
defeat (but UP % of vote increased in 1973 elections), active
participation in military overthrow.
But my focus was on balance of class forces inside Chile that did not
favor UP. Added to 'political' factors I noted in previous post were
'economic' ones - disinvestment, capital flight, middle/upper strata
hoarding of goods, lands left idle, slaughtered farm animals.
Opposition's decision to support most reactionary strategy resulted from
inability of capitalist forces to provoke instititionalized collapse.
UP's policy's of exproporation/nationalization without compensation
convinced both Chilean & transnational capital that their interests
would be best protected by permanent military-corporatist state.
Michael Hoover
