The former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet this past Friday lost what could be the final round in his tortuous struggle to avoid prosecution for human rights abuses.
In a surprise ruling, the country’s Supreme Court ruled by 9 votes to 8 to uphold the decision of a lower court in May that stripped Pinochet, 88, of immunity from prosecution. There can be no appeal against the ruling.
The ruling was received with joy by the families of victims of the dictator, while the centre-left coalition government has taken a cautious stance.

“This is a historic day, because this ruling opens a window of opportunity for us to try all of the human rights violators,” said Lorena Pizarro, president of the Group of Families of the Detained-Disappeared.”

A website maintained by Michael Neumann provides stark accounts of Pinochet’s crimes. Human Rights Watch has published a timeline of the Pinochet prosecution dating back to October 16, 1998.
In their special report, The Guardian published their own early timeline of the march toward justice for Augusto Pinochet, as well as a Reuters report in which the seemingly delusional former dictator states …

“I never aspired to be a dictator because I considered that to be a dictator would end badly. I always acted in a democratic way.”

With Pinochet in the hands of the justice system, the path would now seem to be clear to establish his share of responsibility in Operation Condor, the strategy by which South American de facto military regimes co-ordinated the repression of political opponents in the 1970s and 1980s.

Just how much damage has President George Walker Bush done to the United States in just four short years? And what are the reasons why the people of the United States shouldn’t even consider electing him to a second term in office?
Author, journalist, Peabody award-winning documentarian, and syndicated columnist Richard Reeves believes he has at least a partial answer to the questions posed above.

• “He has divided the country; we are all part of a vicious little hissing match. We were united and humbled on September 12, 2001. We are divided and humliated now, telling lies about each other.”
• “He has divided the world. ‘We are all Americans now’ headlined Le Monde on that September 12. Now there are days when it seems as if they are all anti-Americans.”
• “He is leaving no child or grandchild without debt. He has taken the government from surplus into deficit in the name of national security and increased private investment. We can pay the debt in two ways: with more government revenues (taxation) or by borrowing — against the sweat and income of new generations. The President has chosen to borrow.”
• “He campaigns as a champion of smaller government, but is greatly increasing the size and role of government. Ideological conservatism, it turns out, costs just as much or more than ideological liberalism. Conservative and liberal politicians are both for increasing the reach and power of government. The difference between them is which parts and functions of the state are to be empowered and financed. The choice is between military measures and order, or more redistribution of income. Money is power.”

The latter part of Mr. Reeves’ column may be found here.

liberal gadfly Molly Ivins

Former editor of the liberal monthly The Texas Observer, and syndicated columnist on politics for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (among many other endeavours past and present), Molly Ivins, on writing about the American psychodrama (this autumn’s U.S. election) suggests that having the United States to the south of us is “like having the Simpsons for next-door neighbours.”
While vacationing in Kananaskis, Alberta, Ms. Ivins was, she says, queried repeatedly by Canadians about the prospect of electing George Walker Bush to a second term in office.

“You couldn’t possibly …” they begin, only to break off. “Are you not aware of what …” “Surely you realize how …” But they can think of no polite way of asking if we are such freaking idiots that we haven’t noticed the damage that has been done by the Bush administration to the American reputation all over the world.

Ms. Ivins finds herself at some pains to try to answer the ever-so-delicately phrased question: Are you people actually going to re-elect that nincompoop? In replying to queries placed by politely astonished Canadians, she finds herself dumbfounded at what her fellow Americans may do come November 2nd, leaving her readers with a wearying concluding thought, “Some days are much tougher sledding than others.”

In much the same way that Canada’s Election Prediction Project sought to predict the outcome of our recent Canadian federal election, to the south of us the folks behind the Electoral Vote Predictor have set about to track how the Electoral College will likely vote come the evening of November 2nd.
At the moment, the folks behind the Electoral Vote Predictor show that, based on polling data, Senator John Kerry holds a commanding lead over the sitting President, George W. Bush. Even the folks at the pro-Bush Election Prediction.com website have Kerry in front of Bush, both in the probable Electoral College vote and American voter percentage support. The Rasmussen Report also places Kerry ahead of Bush, with 232 to 197 probable Electoral College votes; 109 votes are in the toss-up column.
VanRamblings will post udpated, projected Electoral College numbers throughout the late summer and autumn. In the meantime, click on the supplied site links above for more in-depth information.