Fear, Distrust and Anarchy In Chile

Common Definitions: Fear mongering is the deliberate use of fear based tactics including exaggeration and usually repetition to influence the public; the action of deliberately arousing public fear or alarm about a particular issue. What about the unintentional use of alarming news? Rumor? Hearsay? Myth?

In the time lived in this country I have heard many truths, half truths and some myths regarding The Great Bogeymen lurking in the shadows. Nothing goes viral faster countrywide than a rumor or story regarding some ripoff or scam that has just popped up. The speed and expansion of these stories beats anything that the local news channels have to offer. But remember, the TV media are competing against immediate word of mouth, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc, etc.

Gas Stations

The first distrust warning I received shortly after arriving in Chile was about getting gas. I was warned about making sure the gas pump was set to zero pesos before getting gas, otherwise I would be billed for extra or someone else's gas. So naturally I made sure to look before filling. This has become so endemic and ingrained in the Chilean culture that almost every worker pumping gas at a station will point out to you that the pump is at zero before starting.

Now there are 2 things I noticed about this supposed scam. First, almost all the gas pumps out there today automatically reset themselves when the handle is placed back in the receptacle and removed. This has been the case for many years even in the remote areas. Also, wouldn't it seem logical that if someone ordered a quantity of say 10 or 20 lucas (cash), it would be obvious if their bill or request for payment was greater than what they asked for originally. On those occasions when you fill up, again, wouldn't a light go off in your head if normally it cost 30 lucas to fill up your car but the bill was 50 or 60 lucas?? By the way, I hae yet to meet a person who has had this happen to them. But the Chileans love a good story that substantiates their culture of fear and distrust. 

Cajas

Other than supermarkets, many high-volume shops and businesses will have just one place to pay for goods, even though there may be several salespeople helping customers. The reason? Trust. Business owners are still stuck in a mentality, right or wrong, that trusting only one person to handle money will cut down their risk of being ripped off by employees. Consider however that now you have all the money in one place making it more tempting for a thief. So customer service is superseded by a fear and distrust of their own employees, whom they have hired. The newer ferreterias have gone to the supermarket lane approach rather than the old way of having 1 caja.

Personal Safety and Self-Defense

Residential burglaries are a serious concern in Chile. Not only in Chile, but in every country having a Spanish colonial legacy, there is a long history of homes, simple and grandiose, having walls, bars, gates, guards, barbed wire, electric wire and/or dogs; sometimes all of the above. What that tells you is that a) the citizens don't trust the outside populace; b) the outside citizens have little respect for personal property of others and; c) police protection cannot be relied upon to prevent crime. Added to this phenomenon is the government imposed difficulty of citizens to protect themselves from robberies and home invasions. Acquiring a firearm for home defense is an arduous, expensive and complicated process. Should you use a firearm or not, defending yourself by any means often results in the defendant being prosecuted for harming the assailant. Liberalism at it's finest level of stupidity; whoever is hurt must be the victim. 
An offshoot to this residential burglary issue is the vast proliferation of dogs in Chile. As one of the very few means of self protection or warning, people will have 2 or 3 dogs inside their property fence during the night; usually barking at anything that moves. During the day, these dogs are left outside wandering the street, most of them not fixed and creating additional social problems. Many of these new arrivals succumb to disease and die or are hit by cars and live a short miserable life. Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the ways its animals are treated".

Distrust

Distrust comes in many forms and is exhibited here in Chile by the response of people to outside influences. Say hello to someone who doesn't know you and you will probably receive a suspicious look or averted eyes. Coming from a different culture, where camaraderie is welcome and sought out, Chile shows its social insularity and lack of trust. Go into a bar in the US and you will probably be able to make friends or strike up a conversation in minutes. Not so here, unless you go to a bar/restaurant where foreigners are prevalent. 

Much of the distrust comes as a result of the actions of Chileans themselves. Locals have repeatedly told me that as soon as a new process or something having a monetary value comes out or the government launches a new program, soon behind comes the scammers and thieves looking to take advantage of any loophole they can find. In the end, the people help perpetuate this cycle of mistrust.

ANARCHY

Anarchy is defined as "a state of society without government or law", but more appropriate to Chile, "general lawlessness and disorder, especially when thought to result from an absence or failure of government". Chilean government seems to function by the rule that the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many. Demonstrations of even a minor sort are allowed to close streets but worst of all destroy private property while police look on with orders not to intervene. Meanwhile, personal property and means of livelihood of the uninvolved are being destroyed in the name of free expression. A recent riot/demonstration in Valparaiso resulted in major streets being closed for a few days for cleanup of the destruction wrought upon the city; disrupting people's ability to travel and get to work.

What I haven't seen here in 3 years is a peaceful demonstration of large amounts of people calling for more police protection or stronger law enforcement. This is the illness that Chileans are forced to endure as a backlash of the post-Pinochet era where it is anathema to suggest that police protect their citizens by exhibiting a stronger response to anarchy.

ROAD RULES

When the governed are allowed to snub the rules, not only does it promote anarchy but it subverts the whole concept of law and order and respect for others. This is most noticeable when driving outside the major cities. Speed limit signs seem to be mere suggestions that if followed, will cause you to be tailgated and passed by other vehicles. Passing in restricted lanes and blind spots is commonplace. Taxis, buses and cooperativos stop in traffic lanes to pick up and drop off passengers causing delays to others.

So where is the law enforcement? Mostly absent or doing random traffic stops to check for documentation. What is surprising is that the socialist Chilean government, in its never ending need for more revenue, will find ludicrous methods to raise income by, more recently, initiating an additional tax on new cars and taxing home sales, both of which have had the expected result of undermining and stifling these industries. Consider the possibilities of raising revenue by aggressively enforcing the traffic laws with tickets and fines. More radar checks and unmarked police cars. What a concept. Besides raising additional money, It would also be a major step in instilling respect for law and order in Chile.

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