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2
rom
aos!
by
Gene
H.
Hogberg
This is the astounding
story of one nation's
r€newal- a bright spot in a
world of increasing
turmoil. In it are vital
lessons of government that
you need
to
know.
HE STATISTICS
are in–
deed impressive for a
developing country:
A booming economy
averaging 8 percen t
g rowth a year for three
straight years; inf\ation-once
more than 700 percent a
,,
year- down to 30 percen t and
headed lower; a b a lanced
national budget plus an ann ual
'
surplus in the balance of pay-
ments.
In today's tumultuous world ,
the foregoing econom ic rccipc
almost sounds too good to be true.
But the fact is that Chile- that
oddl y shaped s tring bean o f a
country that stretches for 2,654
mil es along the west coast of
South America-is undergoing
one of the most dramatic econom–
ic transformat ions in his tory.
A U.S. State Department offi–
cial admits that today's Chi le rep–
resents "a case book study in
sound economic management."
Economics, however , is only
par t of this Cinderella s tory.
Chile's success is made possiblc
because its citizens today, unlike
eight years ago, are largely at
peace with each other. T he reason
~
for this is firm. if not always
appreciated, leadership.
Distorted Pícture Prevails
Perhaps nowhere e lse in thc
world is there a greater contrast
between a country' s image–
especially as presented in the
world 's press-and on- the-spot
reality .
Because of its military govern–
ment and temporary suspension
o f democratic rule, Chile is often
pictured as having a repressivc
fascist-s tyle government in which
individual liberties are ruthlessly
crushed. Nothing could be fur–
ther from the truth. Any open–
minded visitor
to
Chile, searching
almost in vain for soldiers and
tanks, quickly attests t ha t the
country is no intimidat ing policc
state- except perhaps to an in fin–
itesimal numbe r of would-be
troublemakers.