Tuesday, June 30, 2009

O'Grady Op-Ed in the Wall St. Journal

The best piece I have read about the current events in Honduras is entitled: "Honduras Defends its Democracy" by Mary Anastasia O'Grady. If you are concerned about the future of Honduras, please read this essay and distribute it as widely as possible.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124623220955866301.html

Questions for Hillary

With regards to the recent events in Honduras, BBC News quoted Hillary Clinton, the U.S. Secretary of State, as saying, "It's important that we stand for the rule of law".

My questions for Hillary are: Why wasn't the United States standing for the rule of law when Mel Zelaya was blatantly ignoring rulings of the Honduran Supreme Court? What objections did the U.S. make when Mel insisted on carrying out his illegal referendum despite a Honduran constitution that requires this type of referendum to be authorized by the Honduran Congress? Why was the U.S. silent then? Does the rule of law only extend to some institutions, but not others? Does the U.S. government believe that the executive branch is exempt from the rule of law (hence Watergate, the Iran-Contra affair, etc), but other branches are obligated? Is a constitutionally mandated 'balance of powers' strictly a facade so that people will believe they live in a democracy, but the executive branch ('wink, wink') is not expected to abide by the law and has a 'carte blanche'?

Hillary, please leave your answers in my comment section.

Monday, June 29, 2009

June 28, 2009, The Day Honduran Democracy was Saved

Although a law enforcement action or arrest is not a preferred method of government change, I am grateful to the Honduran armed forces for their heroic intervention in a situation that promised to undermine the long term stability of the Honduras. Mel Zelaya, the EX-president, (and I'm glad to emphasize the ex), was threatening the very fabric of Honduran society. Not only did he fuel the flames of class division and allow crime to run rampant, he ran Honduras as if he were a modern day 'caudillo' or strongman.

Although he claimed to be a socialist, he was nothing more than an opportunist and charlatan. He surrounded himself with corrupt people, and as the saying goes, 'birds of a feather, flock together'. He had absolutely no respect for Honduran instutions and laws. He ignored rulings of the Supreme Court and legislation passed by the Congress. His efforts to change the Honduran constitution were nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to cling to power.

While some may criticize the events of June 28, 2009 as undemocratic, if Mel had been allowed to stay in power, Honduran democracy would have withered away in agony with Mel drinking its blood in vampirish glee.