Soon after Mr. Pinera became Chile's Minister of Labor in 1978, he proposed a

startling new idea: privatize Social Security. Perhaps even more startling, the Pinochet

regime agreed, and the system has been a fabulous success. Mr. Pinera explains why,

lucidly and engagingly, also explains why it would be a good idea here, and talks about

the prospect of re-establishing democracy in his country. One sample, which takes on a

haunting resonance in the light of the campaign launched against Augusto Pinochet eight

years after he stepped down as president (cf. Firing Line #S1190): "Basically, what the

military has said is: Look, in 1973 there was this Marxist government; they were

violating the constitution, it was like a tiger going around creating problems. People

asked us to mount the tiger. We have mounted the tiger. We have dominated the tiger.

Now we ride to decide how to dismount the tiger without being eaten."