Within hours of the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, President Obama denounced the actions by the Honduran military. It is curious that the President of the United States was worried about meddling in the aftermath of the fraudulent Iranian Presidential election, but felt no such angst in regard to the removal of a close Communist ally of Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez.
It is important to know that the actions of the Honduran military were not that of a coup d’état. Mr. Zelaya’s removal was the result of a direct order of the Honduran Supreme Court. It was also approved by both the nation’s Attorney General and its Congress. In fact, the Honduran Congress had declared their President unfit for office. And, President Zelaya was not replaced by a general as the head of a military junta, but rather the head of the Honduran Congress (who happens to be a member of Mr. Zelaya’s political party). Upon assuming office, the new President immediately called for new national elections.
What would force the other branches of government in Honduras to act in such a manner so as to remove their President? How about the fact that President Zelaya had tried to follow in Hugo Chavez’s footsteps by overturning Honduras’ constitution by staging an illegal referendum that was the prelude to eliminating term limits on his office. Evidently, Mr. Zelaya was envious of dictators all over the globe who are given the title of “President for Life”. When the Army Chief of Staff refused to cooperate in this illegal act, Zelaya fired him. The Supreme Court declared the firing illegal. It is fair to say that the actions of the Honduran military, Attorney General and Congress all acted to save Honduran democracy and not to subvert it.
As is its modus operandi, the United Nations called for the reinstatement of this leftist dictator. Not to be outdone by the UN, the Organization of American States threatened to suspend Honduras’ membership unless Zelaya was reinstated. This isn’t surprising in light of the fact that the OAS had tried to readmit Cuba after a 47 year suspension. There are no finer dictators in the Western hemisphere than the Castro brothers!
Why would President Obama choose to support a Communist strongman, while at the exact same time standing idly by while grassroots democratic protesters are being slaughtered in the streets by Islamists in a police state? I wish I knew the answer. But it certainly calls into question the much discussed “competence” that Mr. Obama’s supporters were yelling about during the 2008 presidential election. It’s just another case of this administration demonstrating weakness on the world stage. As I’ve said many times before, the perception of American weakness in the eyes of our enemies presents a danger to every one of us. There is truth to the adage “Peace through strength”. Despite President Obama’s denial last week, it did win the Cold War for the United States.
It’s bad enough that Mr. Obama doesn’t know when taking sides constitutes irresponsible meddling. What’s even more troubling is that when he does choose sides, he choose the wrong one.
It is important to know that the actions of the Honduran military were not that of a coup d’état. Mr. Zelaya’s removal was the result of a direct order of the Honduran Supreme Court. It was also approved by both the nation’s Attorney General and its Congress. In fact, the Honduran Congress had declared their President unfit for office. And, President Zelaya was not replaced by a general as the head of a military junta, but rather the head of the Honduran Congress (who happens to be a member of Mr. Zelaya’s political party). Upon assuming office, the new President immediately called for new national elections.
What would force the other branches of government in Honduras to act in such a manner so as to remove their President? How about the fact that President Zelaya had tried to follow in Hugo Chavez’s footsteps by overturning Honduras’ constitution by staging an illegal referendum that was the prelude to eliminating term limits on his office. Evidently, Mr. Zelaya was envious of dictators all over the globe who are given the title of “President for Life”. When the Army Chief of Staff refused to cooperate in this illegal act, Zelaya fired him. The Supreme Court declared the firing illegal. It is fair to say that the actions of the Honduran military, Attorney General and Congress all acted to save Honduran democracy and not to subvert it.
As is its modus operandi, the United Nations called for the reinstatement of this leftist dictator. Not to be outdone by the UN, the Organization of American States threatened to suspend Honduras’ membership unless Zelaya was reinstated. This isn’t surprising in light of the fact that the OAS had tried to readmit Cuba after a 47 year suspension. There are no finer dictators in the Western hemisphere than the Castro brothers!
Why would President Obama choose to support a Communist strongman, while at the exact same time standing idly by while grassroots democratic protesters are being slaughtered in the streets by Islamists in a police state? I wish I knew the answer. But it certainly calls into question the much discussed “competence” that Mr. Obama’s supporters were yelling about during the 2008 presidential election. It’s just another case of this administration demonstrating weakness on the world stage. As I’ve said many times before, the perception of American weakness in the eyes of our enemies presents a danger to every one of us. There is truth to the adage “Peace through strength”. Despite President Obama’s denial last week, it did win the Cold War for the United States.
It’s bad enough that Mr. Obama doesn’t know when taking sides constitutes irresponsible meddling. What’s even more troubling is that when he does choose sides, he choose the wrong one.
1 comment:
It was a coup. Even conservative papers call it a coup.
If Zelaya was really violating the constitution, why not follow the constitutional process to address it. Should the US military have flown Al Gore to Mexico City after the SCOTUS ruled against him?
If he is a communist strongman, and he was replaced by a member of his own party, why do you care so much which communist is running Honduras?
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