"Billionaire gains runoff in Chile; Leftists must unify if they hope to deny Pinera" by Michael Warren, Associated Press | December 14, 2009
SANTIAGO - Right-wing billionaire Sebastian Pinera beat three leftists in yesterday’s election but failed to obtain a majority, setting up a runoff against a veteran of the coalition that has ruled Chile for two decades of democracy....
The key question will be whether leftists can unify to fend off the most moderate candidate Chile’s right has ever had. A runoff win by Pinera, 60, would give Chile its first right wing government since the end of its dictatorship and would mark a tilt to the right in a region where leftists have won most recent elections.
I smell a bit of a stink.
The government’s general secretary, Jose Antonio Viera-Gallo, immediately called on supporters of the other leftist candidates to come together, saying that the vote makes it clear that the people want former President Eduardo Frei in the second round. Stability and experience are selling points for Frei, 67, who governed Chile from 1994 to 2000. “We don’t want leaps into the unknown, nor do we want to return to the past. We want a government that worries about the people,’’ he said after voting. “We don’t believe that the power of the market and money should have priority over a society.’’
We ALL DO!!! And HOW RARE that is!
But many voters are fed up with having the same government throughout 19 years of democracy following General Augusto Pinochet’s 1973-1990 dictatorship.
Is the agenda-pushing MSM trying to infer that Chileans want to return to that war-criminal hell?
Promising change, Pinera and Representative Marco Enriquez-Ominami, a Socialist who broke away from the ruling coalition in a dispute with Frei, challenged the ruling center-left coalition like never before. President Michelle Bachelet has 78 percent approval ratings and Chile seems on track to become a first-world nation. Chile’s economy, negligible inflation, and stable democracy are the envy of Latin America. Booming copper revenues and prudent fiscal policies have helped the government reduce poverty from 45 percent in 1990 to 13 percent, raising per capita annual income to $14,000 in the nation of 17 million.
Then WHY would they WANT CHANGE?
But a huge wealth gap between rich and poor and a chronically underfunded education system have many voters feeling more must be done to redistribute Chile’s copper wealth.
So a RIGHT-WING BILLIONAIRE is going to DO THAT?
A study by the World Bank several years ago showed that the poorest 10 percent of Chileans benefit from only 1.3 percent of government revenues, while the richest 10 percent benefit from 40 percent.
Translation: Governments are the SAME EVERYWHERE! They WORK for the ELITE of the country!
Pinera, a Harvard-educated economist, is ranked No. 701 with $1 billion on the Forbes magazine world’s richest list.
Kraft beat 'em!
He built his fortune bringing credit cards to Chile, and his investments include Chile’s main airline, most popular football team, and a leading TV channel. He has promised to bring the same entrepreneurial spirit to governing Chile, and expressed optimism after voting, saying “better times are coming.’’
I can't believe Chileans fell for this, especially after seeing further results below.
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Communists will have congressional seats for the first time since Pinochet’s 1973 coup. Representative Isabel Allende, a Socialist and daughter of ousted President Salvador Allende, was voted into the Senate. But Pinochet’s grandson, Rodrigo Garcia Pinochet, lost his run for a congressional seat representing the upscale suburb of Las Condes.
Yeah, somehow this lone right-winger was able to buck the trends and gain a run-off.
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Readers, I must confess, I DO NOT BELIEVE in ANY ELECTIONS!
The last legitimate elections (as far as I can tell) were in Palestine (Hamas was elected) and Iran (legitimate vote).
Other than those two, THEY ALL STINK to HIGH HEAVEN (with Amurka's on the top of the heap).
