Thatcher and Pinochet

Daniel Finkelstein on the death of Pinochet:

"Long live Pinochet" chanted his supporters as the old man lay dying in hospital. As for me, I thought he'd lived more than long enough."

I wholeheartedly agree: a murdering despot on the right deserves to die just as much as a murdering despot on the left. Which makes me feel embarrassed by Thatcher's comments about the death of Pinochet. It is very difficult for me to square Thatcher's admiration for Pinochet when you read things like this.

I suppose could argue that Thatcher is right in some respects - Chile under Pinochet was an ally in the Falklands War - much more so that elements of the Reagan administration. And there are numerous other examples of Britain becoming the pal of regimes with dubious human rights records. I mean, take a look at our close ally in World War Two, Uncle Joe Stalin. History has shown him to be one of the most ruthless dictators of modern times, but at the time we needed his help to defeat the Nazi's. I am not going to go into a long discussion about whether the Falklands War was right or wrong, and it certainly wasn't the desperate struggle that characterises the Second World War. But my point is this - foreign policy makes for strange bedfellows, and sometimes when you look back at your allies, you wonder how you could ever have fought with them. As the USA found out so dramatically on 9/11.

That said, I still think Thatcher is wrong to continue with her defence of Pinochet and hope one day she will admit she is wrong. There is a difference between being a conviction politician and a stubborn one...