Chile Con Splinters
Reprinted from Ideological Commentary |
"Pinochet's Poll Defeat Could Reinforce his Position, as Chile's Splintered Opposition Proves Powerless." So runs the subhead to an article by Emiliano Magon in NS&S for 19 Oct 88, and the article develops the theme: "A thoroughly divided opposition, made up of 16 warring parties, was more an ally than a threat."
Magon writes as if the situation in Chile were a one-off; in fact it is routine. Admittedly 16 parties is an unusually high number, but it only emphasises the rule, that the right tends towards political unity and the left towards fission.