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Honduras Crisis Exposes Weakness of US Democracy
While Honduras is on the brink of a civil war, politics-as-usual in Washington, D.C. threaten, quite literally, to block US support for democracy in that country. It also threatens to squelch democracy here as well. On Thursday, the office of Sen. Richard Lugar sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton demanding clarification on the State Department's intentions with regard to Honduras. The same letter also noted that providing such a detailed clarification would "improve the prospects of confirming" several of Obama's diplomatic nominations for Latin America.
Lugar's letter comes on the heels of outright threats from fellow Republican Sen. Jim DeMint to delay a Senate vote on a key State Department post for Latin America because of U.S. support for ‘leftist' Zelaya, signaling that Lugar and other Republicans are aligning on this strategy to block U.S. pressure to reinstate Zelaya and restore Honduran democracy.
Thursday also brought to bear the most violent repression by coup forces in Honduras since Zelaya's removal on June 28th. In Honduras and Nicaragua members of La Via Campesina - a global network representing more than 150 million small farmers - reported that tear gas and rubber and wooden bullets were being shot at unarmed protesters from helicopters and other aircraft. Multiple human rights and civil society organizations are reporting that journalists and other civilians are being targeted in the conflict areas, particularly near the border with Nicaragua, and that hundreds of people have been injured, some quite severely. The prisons are filled with detainees who oppose the de facto regime. More than 150 people were arrested on Thursday alone, including minors as young as two years.
U.S. pressure (or lack thereof) on the coup regime to relinquish power plays a major role in the possible outcome in Honduras. Strong sanctions would likely bring an immediate halt to the de facto government's ability to maintain power. Already the U.S. State Department has condemned the coup, cut off $16.5 million in military aid, placed a hold on any new development aid, and most recently, revoked the diplomatic visas of four members of the de facto regime.
But human rights organizations the world over have called on the Obama Administration to do more, including terminating all existing aid and cutting off trade and remittances. Thus far, the U.S. has refused to take a strong position that explicitly recognizes the events of June 28th as a coup, which according to U.S. law, would require the suspension of all relations - trade, aid, or otherwise - with Honduras. Secretary Clinton stated on June 30 that "We are withholding any formal legal determination," on whether or not a coup had transpired.
The fact that Sen. Lugar and his fellow Republicans are so blatantly playing politics with this grave crisis is appaling. Their efforts to persuade the Administration to step back from taking the legally required action threatens democracy and the rule of law in Honduras and here at home. Furthermore, attempts to manipulate the Senate voting process in an effort to influence the State Department's foreign policy decisions are wholly improper. Delays in Congressional activity, at the expense of public time and money, as a result of political disputes between branches of government should be condemned by the American public as a subversion of democracy.
Perhaps influenced by right wing pressure, the Administration is walking a fine line between pushing certain policies while pulling for key appointments and legislation from political rivals in Congress. Though it may seem that the Administration must weigh the odds of pursuing one policy at the expense of another, the reality is that not acting on the crisis in Honduras results in a lose-lose situation for both foreign and domestic policy.
It has been said that Obama's response to this crisis will indicate whether or not the U.S. is at a turning point in its relations with Latin America. In the 1980s and 1990s, the U.S. actively backed dictatorships and military coups throughout the region. Indeed, Sen. Lugar's letter to Secretary Clinton correctly remarked that the situation in Honduras "gives rise to questions regarding U.S. foreign policy" - essentially that not backing this particular coup would mark a major change in our approach to the region. A decision to stay the course of supporting right wing military regimes in Central America would represent a setback to both democracy and U.S. relations with the region, not to mention the casualties of human rights and dignity. Moreover, the lack of a swift resolution to the crisis in Honduras has left the conflict brewing and intensifying; the country is now on the brink of all out war.
The real choice for the Obama Administration is whether or not to engage in the tug-of-war between pushing real reform and bowing down to the perceived might of political, social, and economic ideologues. What is the advantage of passing legislation or confirming nominees if the end result is bound up in a system corrupted by interests not responsive or accountable to the public? By rejecting the legitimacy of threats from Senators Lugar and DeMint and upholding Honduran democracy with strong sanctions against the Micheletti regime, President Obama can lead the U.S. into a new era of support for Latin American democracy and sovereignty while also working toward rebuilding a weakened democracy at home.
68 Comments so far
Show AllYes Obama is a problem and Lugar is a problem and one should step up and the other back off to support democracy in Honduras and in the USA. Good article.
But a problem with democracy in the USA is that "we the people" do not believe we can do anything about anything. It is understandable but also a self-fulfilling prophecy to say "the government is corrupt and the media is corporate and the people are apathetic so we are powerless."
Precisely because "the government is corrupt and the media is corporate and the people are apathetic", we need to be lifelong. Giving in to hopelessness helplessness and cynicism only feeds despair. "No you are foolish to try that" is a more common response in the CD threads than "Yes and also..."
If someone suggests an action you think will fail, suggest another action. If we only write in to say "that won't work", why are we here?
Get creative, stay focused, build relationships and make noise! We're in this for the long haul.
That said, i'm asking everyone who comments here to take one action today to build social pressure in the USA for democracy in Honduras. And if you wake up tomorrow to find that "the government is corrupt and the media is corporate and the people are apathetic", then do one more thing.
We're in this for the long haul.
Danny Schecter's article on CD today has a good take on the need to organize and mobilize. Make some noise!
webwalk 8:26 --- you are precisely correct, even though it is also true that through personhood and money is speech rulings corporations have a Catch 22( laws cannot be passed to remove power from corporations because the corporations have 80%[approx.] of the influential power) dictatorial control of the USA government.
Within the government proposed framework of influence only a loud prolonged outcry from 80%(approx.) of the population will have positive results. This is why it is so neccassary for the left to educate and nourish, yes nourish, the right so that with the right perceiving where their true interests lay there may be a populist coalition great enough to overcome the corporate Catch 22.
Beyond this only actions as general strikes and creating an alternative universe totally divorced from the USA reality will have any positive results.
I would focus on term limits. It would really help to increase turnover in the Congress. You'll help the future a lot more if you focus on a simple actionable issue such as passing a Constitutional Amendment to put term limits on politicians.
i would focus on abolishing corporate personhood and banning corporate political funding. It would really help increase political independence in the Congress. You'll help the future a lot more if you focus on a simple actionable issue such as passing a Constitutional Amendment to define a "person" as a human being.
Glenn Ford, the really sad fact is that only 5% loud voices, not 80%, could force radical social change. And as a nation we can't even do that!
The US doesn't want democracy in Honduras. It wants the right to do business in Honduras. Read WAR IS A RACKET by General Smedley Butler.
Hoa binh
However, Honduras is having elections in November, and they will be monitored by international observers.
Also, I'm interested in finding out about a US law which requires President Obama to cut off trade relations with Honduras. As far as I know, such a law doesn't exist.
If Honduran presidents can only serve one term, does that mean the coup president Micheletti can't run for President in November? He has served a partial term. Flip side, Zelaya has also only served a partial term (however, he said he doesn't intend to run).
So when does the campaigning begin? It is August.
Micheletti isn't running for President, nor was he running before his designation as President. He was the leader of Congress, and will likely return to his post when the crisis is resolved. Zelaya was already elected once, he can't run again. The campaign is on right now.
The main candidates are Porfirio Lobo (Conservative Party) and Mauricio Villeda (Liberal Party - same as Zelaya's). Carlos Humberto Reyes was going to try for it as an Independent (he's far to Villeda's left), but I'm not sure if he has the 45,000 signatures to file as a candidate.
The elections in the US were won by Barak Obama, and the next campaign hasn't started in earnest, but I believe Obama will win it handily. Any other questions?
President Obama is a great man, and I see him taking responsible steps. They may not be the ones you like, but I find the man quite refreshing after 8 years of Bush.
Now that we settled there are two main candidates and a third potential candidate running in the Honduras elections for November, who do you think is expected to win?
We did settle the Honduran presidential candidates' names, right? I believe President Obama is turning out fine. I'm not happy at all with his moves to increase troop levels in Afghanistan, but I do believe he's honestly trying to curb the Israel lobby's power. This is a big deal because the Middle East is where we're bleeding to death, and it's mostly caused by a combination of Israeli and Military Industrial Lobby complex lobbies. This combination led us to the war in Iraq, causes untold deficits and problems, and is what we ought to fight.
Latin America, on the other hand, is a relative backwater. The only two moves I would make in Latin America are:
1) legalize most drugs, and reduce penalties for the remaining drugs. The best thing we can do with drug users is let them use, and if it hurts them, then give them an option to go into a clinic. And of course we ought to scale up anti-drug propaganda at all levels, let young people understand they're a dead end, so that demand is reduced. This will in turn cut the crime rate and problems we cause in Latin America.
2) Give Mexico aid to build north-south superhighways and railroads from Southern Mexico, so they can bring their products to market in the USA at lower cost. This will encourage private investment by Mexicans and foreigners into agriculture and industry in Southern Mexico and Central America, and help reduce poverty in that region.
There's no need to let Mexican truckers into the US. It's a very simple matter to have them bring the vehicle to the border, and then the truck can be driven on by a US citizen or legal resident.
A quick web search shows this:
"Foreign Operations bill:
Sec. 7008. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available pursuant to titles III through VI of this Act shall be obligated or expended to finance directly any assistance to the government of any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup or decree."
So it appears that there is no legal requirement to bar all trade between the USA and Honduras, just a requirement to block payments by the US government directly to the Honduran government.
i'm not a lawyer, just using a web search engine...
That's what I thought. Economic embargoes have been futile and counterproductive in the past. For example, we've done it to Cuba for almost 50 years, and the Castro regime is still there. I believe they would have changed a long time ago if they didn't have the excuse of the US embargo for their economic failures.
What we seeing here are two oligarchies supporting each other.
The US oligarchies are either directly supporting the Honduran oligarchy or they are not actively fighting it.
Presently, there is a huge repressive operation against the anti-coup population; is any of this on the US oligarchically owned media. As a comparison, we are seeing and hearing about similar events in Iran...but not Honduras.
Oh. Did I write the phrase "oligarchically owned media"? I think I answered my own question.
All the legalism that some of the CD discussants refered to below are so much hooey. The illegal coup dictatorship is nothing more than the oligarchy acting to secure its own social and economic position.
There was nothing illegal about the encuesta that Zelaya promoted. The notoriously corrupt Supreme Court recently ruled that this particular encuesta was illegal without the use of formal legal procedures.
The 1982 constitution was constructed during the waning days of the last Honduran dictatorship; the only groups involved in its construction were the oligarchy, military and Negroponte.
It is an oligarchical document that increasingly more and more citizens of Honduras want to democratically reformulate in order to make it a more a representative document.
More than two oligarchies supporting each other. More like a global network of oligarchies with control of the electronic media ruthlessly supporting each other.
Delusions of the so called left. If it not obvious to the writer that the Obama administrations is front and center in this Honduras coup, then the writer must be they most dim witted creature walking the face of the earth, every thing else is smoke and mirrors. Some are always learning yet never ariving at the truth. Perpetual dupes.
Just listen to statements coming from the the Obama administration itself.
P.T Barnum was right, a sucker is born every minute.
Your post is very confusing, so you think President Obama encouraged the coup? If so, why would he do that?
Interesting. And why would his owners tell him to do so? There's no apparent advantage.
On the other hand, perhaps the writer is just one step from the truth.
He/she sees a lot of what is happening, and we do not know from this piece of writing what direction either the writer or the organization Grassroots International may be developing in.
Calling people "delusional, dim witted, dupes and suckers" is just venting your own spleen. If we are only here to denounce each others stupidity, why are we here?
If you could offer Lindsay some positive direction, what would that be?
Obama -- A paid actor poilitician.
And like all our politicians hired by the rich to pretend we have a real government.
Most Americans don't known the Zelaya government was overthrown. Most Americans don't know and don't care what's going on in Honduras. Some of the most don't even know there is such a thing as Honduras. The weakness of U.S. democracy lies in the scams, swindles and chicanery that are now the outstanding features of national life and, if not halted, will, beyond any doubt, destroy us. And that is something most Americans are at least dimly aware of.
Yes of course "most Americas are dim." And that is why those stupid Americans own half of all the wealth, capital and gold on planet earth.
"You don't need to know that stuff to find your way to the nearest strip mall."
__________________________________________
Or strip club.
· Yr Obd't Servant
I'd rather teach them geography lessons about the Middle East, Central Asia, the Horn of Africa, and the Caucasus region, where the US is causing a lot more hassles for itself than in a backwater such as Honduras.
That's right. I would.
I'm always learning. However, I'm fairly familiar with geography.
Honduras IS a backwater. It exports bananas and sneakers. The Caucasus is important because it's Russia's southern border, and we have oil pipelines running from Azerbaijan in the region. It's also where Georgia happens to be, and as you know there was a war which led to the secession of part of Georgia, and even yesterday there was minor fighting.
Is Honduras somewhere near Iraq, or is it another name for Haiti?
Surely you are to kind to our indifferent and self-absorbed majority. For if you want to win them over, just create a system where they can all the more enrich themselves upon the misery of those weaker, poorer or slow of thought.
The democratic dominos are falling one by one. Heckuva job, CIA.
Zelaya is finished politically.
Of course, just as Zelaya has said all along. For his term expires in January and never has he even suggested a desire to remain in politics.
Empire USA glory days over -- Honduran coup a turning point.
President Chavez gave Obama fair warning, including a book showing the roots and inherent power in their Bavarian Revolution, the progressive left movement that has captured the hearts and minds of all the Americas.
Lindsay Shade in his above article is most correct in everything but the conclusion. For as any progressive will tell you, Empire USA has never been a two party government, republics being in essence a one party bureaucracy controlled by wealth.
Israel genocides are far worse then Hitler's Holocaust of the Jews. Almost as bad as those of Empire USA.
My goodness your so fast at generating confusion, how much do they pay you to manage this WEB page?
(1) You knew I ment the "Bolivarian" Revolution as I stated the Americas.
(2) Confusion is it for you to attack my spelling as it attacks my person. Be honest and attack my logic and reason.
(3) I and 80% of others here do not comprehend the word "de-countrification." Just more confusion.
(4) Answer my question WEB page manager, how much do they pay to you to generate anger, hatred and confusion?
Surely those who own the WEB know that posting comments without a moderator is pure confusion and hell on earth.
Nativetongue works for food, we toss him a slice of raw beef, and he's roaring to go afterwards.
As for the Bavarian Revolution, I don't see Obama too worried about it. Now that oil prices are down, Venezuela is low on cash. It'll be interesting to see what happens now that Colombia says they found Swedish missiles coming from Venezuela to the FARC rebels.
In what sense are Israel's genocides worse?
They've done a lot of damage, but they have not gotten to 6,000,000 yet. Not even the US has managed that, let alone with a primarily captive population. Estimates of the dead even in the Vietnam War, with its colossal expenditure of munitions, are still under 3,000,000.
Current estimates of the dead in Stalin's terror run to about 700,000.
For a country the size of Orange County CA to cause the trouble that Israel does is impressive, but I don't see a reason to be wildly inaccurate.
Perhaps I mistake you somehow.
Democracy is certainly NOT in danger in the USA. First you have to HAVE a democracy in order to be in danger of losing it. The people of America, both north and south and central including the US have ONE enemy. That enemy is the Military Industrial Complex with senators, congressmen, state department officials and the CIA planning, organizing and carrying out murder and bribery on a large scale. Like one of those gay bath houses, it's hard to tell what they enjoy most; doing it or having it done to them. Honduras is just another sad victim like we the people in the US are.
AGG, I'm sorry to disagree. We have a democracy, but it doesn't work very well. The military industrial complex is indeed a serious problem, as are the Israel lobby and the entrenched political machines. Is there a solution? I'm not sure.
David Sirota has a great article out today explaining just how undemocratic our dictatorship of goons is. No, I'm not talking about Honduras.
Obama is caught between two stools with Hondouras as he is with many other things. He is not decisive for any change. Its more of the same. He had a real opportunity here to make a stand for the rule of law. He waivers and plays for time. Its really very sad to witness. The people of Hondouras are being repressed by undemocratic forces from within.
Zelaya has a right to call on people to resist this takeover. What's more he has a duty to do this for his people. They have a full right to armed rebellion if they chose to support his return. I doubt he will disappear quietly. He has support and he has been sidelined but that is unlikely to last till the proposed elections have their international monitors on the ground. As if that makes any difference. What will the Hondurans do? Well they will vote and their vote will be respected. Will significant numbers boycott the elections in mass? Will the death squads appear under guise of a 'war against terrorism'. Will Nicaragua be drawn into skirmishing along the border? Who knows?
Geopolitically and militarily the US administration is going about dominating all countries in the region through its use of Columbian military bases. Negroponte was the author and apologist for much pain in that area and his constitution in Hondouras was written for such US control. The citizens of Hondouras and Nicaragua are so desperately poor but are not to be taken seriously? Together with citizens of El Salvador they know well the dangers facing them with US military advisers about. If obama is not going to address crimes on foreign lands by the United States then citizens there do not have the president that's needed. He's becoming a joke figure in his own right. Compare the situation with that in Gaza with Hamas?
But Palestinians are not citizens of 'sovereign' countries outside Israel of itself.
As for Swedish missiles from Venezuela in the hands of FARC, don't be so sure and remember these missiles were very old stock. This all stinks at black operations, though would be no surprise to see weapons sold to States by rich democracies in Europe crossing borders in mainland South America. And coups are par for the course in Central and South America. Does Obama play golf? The USA is more often than not the instigator of such coups assaults sanctions and propping up wealthy gangsters who are chosen to rule their domain under certain conditions. And it requires keeping the masses poor to be used as cheap labour.
All that useless rhetoric from the USA about freedom and democracy is plainly seen to be ridiculous. When Bush senior stated he would never apologise for what The USA did he was so wrong! That's exactly what the USA and the world needs now. A President who will apologise and commit to the rule of law in future. Then perhaps some of those allies would follow suit in their countries. Fat chance though?
I'm afraid it is well on the way to getting much worse than things appeared under Bush. The economic situation is going to create cracks and fissures all across the planet and many will die before sanity has another opportunity to raise its head? Wars look likely soon enough. They spiral out of anybody's control. Sad burdens on mankind. We all need REAL CHANGE. Capitalism is not capable of being properly regulated as is. Its foundations are built on profit only. Human beings are incidental. Till that changes corruption wins and many suffer most. We are no more than sophisticated barbarians to indulge such greed and selfishness in our names. We owe it to ourselves and people abroad to shake the foundations of the capitalist system and its democratic corporately funded Parties. The system must be changed in a radical way. As is people, its wars and poverty till the gravy train crashes.
Huh, you seem to confuse the difference between a sovereign government and a motley band of rebels. The Colombian government is perfectly within its rights to purchase weapons. If you want to attack them, try a different line. Regarding the Swedish weapons found in FARC hands, I guess Venezuela will have to respond to Swedish questions, or they won't be buying much from Sweden in the future.
If the Columbian government is within its rights about anything, it must have gotten lost - not that I have much to say for FARC.
Both sides are slinging mud at each other. I sure wish they would have provided a link to Pavon's statements. Do you think the guy is credible? I think he is.