Chile: the balanced view : a recopilation of articles about the Allende years and after

The military government was the strong, instinctive answer of a nation determined to avoid total disaster. It was also the most effective reply to the military systems which govern Marxist politics. We must bear in mind that, while Clausewitz said that war was the continuation of politics through other means, Lenin synthetized his viewpoints, stating that politics is a continuation of war through other means. In other words, Marxist policy and its class struggle must always be understood as an act, or process, of war. THE FUTURE OF POLITICAL INSTIrUTIONS For this very reason, and because of the irreparable decadence of which I was a witness, I must honestly admit that the democratic parliamentary system cannot work efficiently again in either the Chile of today or of the future. I say this with deep so.rrow and even nostalgia. The Congress of Chile was the third oldest in the world. My civic background and ideology stemmed from this system. And throughout a long period oftime I was to witness and participate in its death struggle. I cannot, therefore, build up hopes in its restoration. While I do not deny the possibi litYthat attempts wi II be made to revive it, I am convinced that such attempts can only be short-lived. I believe that our generation, and especially the coming ones, will have to be seriously engaged again in the study of an almost forgotten discipline, the philosophy of politics. Of necessity, a new formula for establishing power must be.found. Democracy can no longer be a set of ritualistic rules for reaching power, and then using that power without recognizing there are limits to it, those of natural law being the most important ones. A democracy is required that will be capable úf providing a synthesis of authority and responsibility, of efficiency and participation of public opinion, of tolerance and an "a outrance" defense ofthe common good; a democracy that should possess clear principies, and then the courage and means to defend them. Political studies embracing these matters were initiated in Chile during the Unidad Popular regime. Following the change of government those studies are being continued with greater intensity. Professors of philosophy, constitutional law and political sciences are working Oil these subjects with increasing interest. The Junta itself has made a Declaration of Principies, which constitutes a practical and modern contribution to the formulation of a new institutional system. Furthermore, a special committee of outstanding jurists was appointed by the govern– ment to prepare a draft of a new constitution. It is my personal view that this endeavor comes too early, as the dust ofChile's political collapse is far from settled, and time is a most important ingredient for reaching the right perspective. We have, certainly, a clear consciousness of the causes of the Chilean crisis, and we know the pitfalls the new institutions must avoid. We know also that the new institutionality must stimulate and protect the freedom of initiative, personal efficiency and the product of labor. Regarding internal law, we should seek full protection for natural law, rather than "human rights", because the latter term stems frqm a United Nations declaration signed by nations whose political regimes have not and cannot guarantee protection or respect for such rights. Chile, as a result of the experience through which it has lived, has been transformed into a country of realism, one that has said farewell to ideological utopias. However, I do not hide the fact that proposing a new political system may be a very heavy task for a small country such as ours. But we feel encouraged by the thought that other nations, also suffering grave political problems, may be using their most valuable intellec– tual resources (better qualified than ours) in the search for a solution to this crucial matter. Were some sort of joint effort to be made, we could offerto it the knowledge gained from n