Ricardo Lagos

http://andalittlewine.blogspot.com/2012/11/book-review-southern-tiger-by-ricardo....

I've been far too long in hitting publish on my review of Ricardo Lagos' Southern Tiger, because I've struggled to unify what I have to say about the book's three acts.

What do you know about Chile under and after the reign of Augusto Pinochet? Too much or too little.

I came to Lagos' book knowing these things:
1) Pinochet ruled Chile in the modern autocratic fashion, by pretending to have been elected;
2) He came to power in the '70s, backed by the US amid a string of disastrous Cold War medling with South American politics, and he ruled into the late '80s;
3) He died in 2006, having never been punished for the war crimes he committed against the people of Chile.

The first third of Lagos' book was exactly what I had hoped for from the former opposition leader and Chilean president- an insider's account of the movement to oust Pinochet, and pride for the peaceful and democratic process that followed that transition. Lagos presents himself as (and may feel himself to have been) a key leader in the opposition, but his positions in the first post-Pinochet coalitions make him look more an observe of history, rather than a shaper of history. Still, that transition seems so much more remarkable as I watch the violent aftermath of the Arab Spring, of the collapse (re-collapse?) of the Congo, of the drug lords turning Mexico into a failed state to expedite their with the United States. Souther Tiger may suffer, after all, from a politician's gloss on history, but that doesn't diminish, for the me, the importance of that history.

The final third of Southern Tiger was just as eloquent- an idealogical manifesto for the future of Chile and the world, with (of course) Lagos' socialist slant at its core.

The middle section, though... I just lost interest. My limitation are no small part of the problem- reviewing Lagos' time in government after Pinochet was just too much inside baseball. With no prior knowledge of Chile's domestic struggles or dreams, I have no way to contextualize, no way to appreciate Lagos' achievements, nor do I have any knowledge of his failings. But the story also lacked a grand vision, a unifying arc to make Chile's struggles compelling to a foreigner.

Ultimately, Southern Tiger was a political memoir, neither the best nor the worst I've read in that genre. A fine enough book, but the wrong book for me.… (mer)

More interesting in its look at the Pinochet dictatorship--the subsequent aftermath and Lagos' own political rise--not quite so much. In that regard for a self-professed socialist he comes across not so well at least in sticking to his core beliefs or in other words the further his political careers seems to rise the more distanced he becomes from his past. I'm sure he wouldn't agree but at least to me adapting free market stances is unreconcilable with socialism. In this respect he reminds of two of his heroes--the USA's Clinton and the UK's Blair.

As mentioned by others it is a self serving memoir--not unlike most books of its kind written by politicians or movie stars. It moves along decently for all that. Not something that appealed all that much to me. But one opinion is only that--and it needs being said again that Pinochet was a total bastard.… (mer)

Before beginning this memoir of past president Ricardo Lagos, I knew little about modern Chile and its struggle to overcome the dictator Pinochet and his method of government. Because the past is told from one man's perspective, it is likely to be biased; however, if given a more complete picture of the events, I would myself likely end up with Lagos' viewpoints. The writing is not always smooth (I wonder if there's a Spanish edition?), but the story is enthralling: both terrible and uplifting. The world would be a better place if there were more politicians like Ricardo Lagos.… (mer)

From darkness into light - Lagos was instrumental in bringing and end to the Pinochet dictatorship, and became president of Chile. Although a socialist, he incorporated ideas that would not be a problem for any dyed in the wool capitalist. Chile is now thriving, and is truly democratic after years of repressive, violent, authoritarian rule.

His memoir is not particularly modest, but I think he deserves all the pats on the back he gives himself. The bravery he showed in standing up to the dictatorship was awesome, and the Chilean people rewarded him with rhe presidency.… (mer)