Chileans vote for new constitution

[gratuitous]

Link to NBCNews story here.

Chileans vote for new constitution, leaving behind relic of Pinochet's brutal legacy

The current document was ratified by a fraudulent referendum in 1980, enshrining an extreme interpretation of free-market principles and privatization that its critics say prioritized profit over life.

For the proponents of the model, the constitution was the cornerstone of Chile’s growth and stability since the return to democracy in 1990. World Bank data shows that Chile’s GDP grew by about 800% between 1990 and 2018; yet a third of total wealth is owned by the richest 1%.

For many, the constitutional process is an opportunity to heal the deep wounds within Chilean society, covered over by the country’s outward economic success and a tradition of apathetic silence among the country’s ruling elite.

I skipped over the beginning of the article to get to the nub, which is that the people of Chile have voted overwhelmingly to throw off the Pinochet-era constitution, and write a new constitution for themselves. Yeah, it took 40 years, but this is the inevitable denouement when authoritarians try to peg the system in their favor. It won't work in the United States, either.

[gratuitous]

1. Gee, I thought this was noteworthy

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

2. K&R! nt