Editor,
I have been defending the position that there have been "successful" dictators, not necessarily "good"; this is a totally different argument. I have also been stating facts that refute generalizing dictators as "failed wannabes", because in reality - as I have been arguing - even in our current world, dictators do exist and some continue to be successful.
My definition of a dictator is consistent with the sources that I cited in my previous letter, which is a definition that does not include the necessity of killing thousands or committing any other type of atrocity. Most dictators have killed thousands, but my argument is "not all" dictators have done this.
Most dictators have had gruesome endings to their life, my argument is that "not all" dictators had a gruesome ending to their lives.
Most dictators were utter failures, my argument is "not all" dictators failed. It seems Mr. Mokofisi likes to create his own definition for dictator and never mind what is written in the dictionary because only his definition is right.
For the record, not once have any of my sources come from Franco era publications to be qualified as "Franco propaganda", nor have I used sources written by deranged dictator supporters. My facts have mostly come from world almanacs and other world fact books with statistics, encyclopedias, and many modern and academic European history books
(I almost forgot a touch of common sense too!).
I would also like to address another issue Mr. Mokofisi seems to be unable to let go of, which is Franco's supposed sympathizing with Hitler and the Nazi's. I first want to clearly state that whether Franco sympathized with Hitler or not, is immaterial to the argument of whether Franco was successful or not, and this is the reason why I did not mention it before because it is a point that has no bearing on whether Franco's dictatorship was successful or not. However, there is ample evidence to prove that Franco's sympathizing with Hitler is false, a position which will further negate Mr. Mokofisi's credibility on this specific topic - if there is any credibility left to take away.
Franco was very sly but quite resourceful in recruiting support from Germany, England, and Italy during the Spanish Civil War. From these countries Franco received money, equipment, guns, airplanes, and other supplies for his campaign. Of course Franco is going to accept any kind of aid no matter where it comes from because in that particular time and place his primary objective was to win the civil war.
After Spain's civil war, Italy and Germany figured they had sure support from Spain because of the aid they had given Franco. However, a short time later, when Franco met Hitler in Hendaye, France (1940) the high demands that Franco made on purpose to be high for food, equipment, Gibraltar, and Northern Africa proved to be too much for Hitler to accept. As a result, and as Franco had skillfully maneuvered for, Spain remained officially neutral. It is well known also that Franco viewed himself also as a defender of Christianity and Catholicism, and he did not accept Hitler's brand of mysticism and religion.
There were Spanish fighters fighting unofficially in WW II but that was only against Communist Russia (Eastern Front) which were common enemies of both Spain and Germany, and so Franco turned a blind eye to this as it was believed and most likely true that the Russians where sponsoring communist terrorists groups in Spain during this time.
In the beginning, the United Nations did leave Spain out of its membership, but this was because of Russia viewing Franco as the most anti-communist leader in Europe. Shortly after the UN was established, the Cold War between Russia and the U.S. escalated, and that helped Franco include Spain in the UN with the support of the United States in 1955. So in the end, another example of Franco succeeding is that fact that Spain joined the United Nations within the first ten years of its existence.
Mr. Editor, thank you for your patience. Sometimes I get tired of kicking a dead horse too!
Malo,
Daniel K. Fale
mauitekelangi [at] gmail [dot] com
