The forgotten story of Chile’s ’socialist internet’

September 30th 2003 at 10:13 am

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Andy Beckett: The forgotten story of Chile’s ’socialist internet’

When Pinochet’s military overthrew the Chilean government 30 years ago, they discovered a revolutionary communication system, a ’socialist internet’ connecting the whole country. Its creator? An eccentric scientist from Surrey.

This story was linked from Boing Boing a few weeks ago, and I’ve had it in my ‘interesting links’ folder for a while. I certainly want to grab it and mull it over. For one I think it fascinating in regards to the technology + socialism equation that many seem to have a lot of faith in. For my own part I it is an interesting piece of history.

While many conservatives are triumphant about the winning of the cold war, in Chile American activities were arguably at their most ‘imperialistic’ (to use a term horribly over-used and misapplied at the US) and self involved. To actively work to destroy a civil society and then replace it with one that was worse, but simply just partial to the US, was something more than criminal. And while most in the US are oblivious to this piece of US history, it is one of the sticking points south of the equator that many still can’t quite get over.

Was it truly better to have a non-communist country regardless of cost to that country’s populace or the style of dictatorship that came later? Is the dream of US freedom and democracy not sullied somewhat, or at least cheapened, when looked at in this light?

I don’t know. I wasn’t in charge then. Maybe communist Chile was more of a threat than I understand. But Allende was elected (in a close contested one, much like US in 2000). Pinochet was not. It’s a shame dogma held out, because the US joined in other nations in trying to economically embargo the Chilean communists out of existence. Great job, it worked, and Chile became a military dictatorship. Are the policy makers in the US who had a hand in that proud of themselves, I wonder?

What would have happened had the US worked closely with the socialists, helped the country, and gained it as an ally? An odd ally, but an ally? There are certainly very socialist European governments that the US gets along with. There is no need to have fascists overthrow them.

I wonder what the alternate history story for Chile could be?

I don’t know. It certainly is a sad to ponder what could have been.

And I do know that those were the policy decisions of just one administration. They often change whenever the US elects a new administration. Today the US is pulling its troops out of Liberia to allow UN peacekeeping troops in.

Despite all the claims of the US being fascists and world dictators, notice that key fact. The US is pulling out.

It should give naysayers accusing the US of being fascist imperialists in Iraq a pause before hitting the regular notes. I doubt they will even pay attention, because it is always easier to play with black and white than the actual greys that are the world.

Here are some links to declassified documents on Chile.

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