Some of you boys should read up on your history instead of accepting at face value what the media has to say .... you know ... about history. 
Pinochet??? Read up on the Chilean 1973 Revolution and what brought it about before you condemn him out of hand and use as your source(s) the MSM. There's been plenty of strongmen and assholes throughout history ... and recent history brings many to mind.
Yahoo media is not my sole source for anything...and would never say that the man didn't accomplish anything. I wouldn't even say that he didn't accomplish any good. His privatization of the Chilean economy and defense of markets against socialization likely left Chile in a much better position than it would have been in without him. I also have no particular love for Salvador Allende as so many on college campuses these days seem to.
What I will say is that he certainly belongs in the "list of assholes" you put up there. Lets not confuse ends and means. Pinochet certainly acheived some laudable ends...his means however are worthy of criticism. To say otherwise, IMHO pust cashmere on a camel.
I'm glad you brought that up.
I'd like you to define, in specific terms, what the exact nature of our pre-1990 relationship was with him.
Well, to be perfectly honest, I don't know the entire extent of our relationship with him. What I do know is that we "supported" him at least to the extent that we supplied him with arms and funds in support of his efforts in the Iran/Iraq war. For me to say anymore would be speculation on my part.
The bottom line here is, that since we live in a messy, dangerous world, we are forced to support and be supported by people for practical reasons that we may not normally for ethical reasons.
I have no problem with this. What I do have a problem with is calling that relationship anything other than what it is...a relationship of opportunity...and the people we have them with anything other than what they are.
