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John Mackenzie's avatar

Mike, I replied to your wonderful parable within the circus tent, with stars like Hitchens and Socrates, saying I had translated into Spanish to circulate to my friends. Despite my name I'm second generation born in Chile. I was working for the Allende government at the tender age of 23, and the coup resulted in what is well known to one and all. My feeling is that what happened in Chile was both a tragedy and in may ways exceptional. The international solidarity was so different to what occurs in relation to the Trump government today, where the world seems to react like rabbits caught in headlights. I wrote a thesis on wheter the Pinochet regime was an example of facsim but now wonder if that is all that relevant. Some of the characteristics are similar, others not (so far) as the Republican Part is not an institution that permeates all levels of society (yet). In enjoy your counsel to call a spade a spade, your two plus two equals four, but am not sure that your message will reach those that are less clear than you are. At times I wonder if some of those you want to reach might feel that you injunctions are akin to nagging –not a good way of bringing people on board. What I am saying is quite different to those that are counseliing pragmatism as a response to an authoritarian tsuname.

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Lynda Richardson's avatar

My husband and I are sailors. During our many years of cruising, we have made many good friends from different countries: Canada, Germany, Italy, England, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland. When we discuss what is happening in our country, we are truth-tellers, every one, acknowledging the atrocities, the treasonous behavior. When I read your post, I imagined each of us with arms linked together - across all boundaries - holding the line. We are too old and too worldly to be bamboozled. Two plus two equals four.

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