大象传媒

Pinochet

There are two things most folks know about Chile and that鈥檚 a) it鈥檚 the thinnest country in the world and b) it was ruled by the avuncular General Pinochet for many years. It鈥檚 this latter point we鈥檙e touching on right now and it鈥檚 fair to say not all people remember the General fondly . . . here鈥檚 a text just in:

Tyrants like Pinochet shouldn't have been allowed to die without getting their proper punishment -a death sentence by a court of law.
Tanimu, Nigeria.

Evelyn is in Santiago: 鈥淚鈥檓 mourning his death. He saved the country. All the things he did for the economy and health are down to him. There were death from both sides. It鈥檚 hard to say it was a price worth paying but it was the thing to do at that time. In 73 there was a lot of violence . . with or without Pinochet things were gonna be bad. He stopped the civil war. I鈥檓 sorry for the families and also for people from the right. They don鈥檛 go around with pictures mourning their loved ones. It will be difficult to get over all the things. For a long time I don鈥檛 think there will be a real union in the country.鈥�

Richard is in Kuala Lumpur: 鈥淚鈥檓 concerned about his death. His death raises a lot of questions. I was in The Hague in 鈥�84 and was involved with many students who were sent away from Chile. The people who supported the Pinochet coup were owners of a mine backed by the CIA in the US. People like Pinochet now die without being tried in a court like the ailing president of Indonesia Suharto.鈥�

Evelyn: 鈥淎 lot of communist have killed a lot of people also and we鈥檙e not asking them to be punished.鈥�

Cosmos: 鈥淲hen a person a committed so many human rights violations be accorded such a state funeral. I think it鈥檚 disgusting.鈥�

Rob is reminding listeners that there will be no state funeral for Pinochet 鈥� just a military one: 鈥淗e may be a sonofabitch but he鈥檚 our sonofabitch.鈥�

Richard: 鈥淭he military should not interfere in the people鈥檚 decision. He annihilated thousands of people. The international institutions could not try him.鈥�

Zizou the statesman?

Aika is in the USA: 鈥滻 honestly don鈥檛 know if he鈥檚 making a political statement at this point. I think he should have more of a say in politics and racial issues. For me the way he describes himself is a cop out. I would like him to say he鈥檚 an African.鈥�

Jeremy: 鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult. He could consider himself Algerian but yet he was born in France but in France he鈥檚 neither. I grew up in a French suburb and a lot of my schoolmates were Algerian and Moroccan. Just being that famous means he already has a burden.鈥�

Sulaiman in Nigeria has called us. We tried to get him on the show but the lines as usual to Africa are terrible: "Zidane is Africa's Pele. We are proud of him"

Ben is in Uganda: 鈥淭his is a very important visit to Africa. I am a radio commentator for a local station and when you talk about Zidane you are inspiring the children. Zidane is going to his home country, this is a great opportunity.鈥�

We鈥檙e back from the news . . .

Sulaiman in Nigeria has persevered: 鈥淭he Italian defender offended him. Muhammad Ali used to tease his opponents. This is what the Italian did to Zidane.鈥�

Sami is in Cairo: 鈥淶idane is an inspiration. We need a lot of Zidanes in the world. The world is full of crisis. He is a model to be copied. He is gentle. He is the shy type but he is somebody you could rely on. You can see him directing his team mates. I would like him to work for charity organisations. People all over the world like him. I鈥檝e put the headbutt behind me. Materazzi must have offended him.鈥�

Aika: 鈥淚鈥檓 half Algerian half Tanzanian . . . I always identified myself as Africans and Africans are very compassionate. Everyone is forgetting the bitter history between Algeria and France. There鈥檚 a lot of anger I have towards individuals who say they鈥檙e French . . . it鈥檚 easier to go that way. He has not been discriminated against. The nice thing about football is there are no racial barriers.鈥�

Lakhdar: 鈥淚n 1998 when he won the World Cup there was a call for Zidane to be president but in the poor areas, les banlieus, a lot of young people were aware of the fact that he was a symbol and an outcast. Racism still exists.鈥�

Packin鈥� up and leavin鈥� . . .

Lisa is in the USA but is originally from the UK: 鈥淚鈥檓 coming back for good next year. I鈥檝e been living in the US for 6 years but I miss home. I missed friends and family. I came here on my own. It was small things such as going into a store and knowing what you were asking for. Where I live you have to drive. It鈥檚 the small things rather than the big things.鈥�

Clint: 鈥淚 found myself out of contract and decide it was time to re-evaluate. It was a good time to move. Better quality of life, better climate. It鈥檚 not a move that we鈥檝e regretted at all. I鈥檓 happier now but poorer.鈥�

Lisa: 鈥淚f my family had come to the US with me then maybe it would have been different.鈥�

Clint: 鈥淭here鈥檚 no way I could be here to be honest if I was on my own. I don鈥檛 have the linguistic skills. There are problems here: France is over-bureaucratic. It鈥檚 not something I did to become financially better off but never say never; I鈥檇 like to think I鈥檒l be here for the rest of my days. I hope my daughter will adopt France as her home.鈥�

Laura is in Zagreb: 鈥淚 from Britain and leaving Hull was the worst thing I ever did. I thought it would be wonderful 鈥榗os I speak Croatian and I wanted to translate books. I鈥檝e got no health insurance because it costs a fortune to hear a doctor. Racism is really bad here. I don鈥檛 like the political correctness about not being able to sing baa-baa black sheep.鈥�

Alexey is from Russia but is in Saudi Arabia: 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry about Laura but myself. Before coming here my image of Saudi was Mecca, Medina and Bin Laden. I think this country is safer than Britain or Russia. On the negative side: the drivers are really bad and there is a lack of things to do after work. But neighbouring countries are close.鈥�

Pat is in Cyprus: 鈥淚 would not go back if you paid me. There is racism in Cyprus here too but England is horrendous.鈥�

Gabi has come to London from South Africa: 鈥淭here鈥檚 more opportunity for young people here.鈥�