Where the Hell Is the USA?
Buried on page A23 of Sunday's L.A. Times (7-26), an article says ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has set up camp on the Nicaraguan side of his country's border with that neighboring state, hoping his family will be allowed to visit him there. Where, in the face of this continuing insult to democracy, is the USA? Where is the Obama Administration? Why has Secretary of State Clinton not flatly condemned this outrageous, illegal coup d'etat and demanded its end?
As recently as the Summit of the Americas on April 17th, President Obama inspired hope by pledging "that we seek an equal partnership" and promising "engagement based on mutual respect and common interests and shared values."
"We must not tolerate violence and insecurity," he declared, adding "true security only comes with liberty and justice... bedrock values of the Inter-American charter."
Yet today the Obama Administration quibbles about compromise. With whom? With which element of this assault on democracy do we share values?
This tragic situation takes me back to 1982 when, on a mission for Concern America, I delivered medical supplies to UNHCR camps in Honduras for refugees from the murderous governments of El Salvador and Guatemala. In those days Zelaya's country, one of the poorest in Latin America, was referred to derisively as the U.S.S. Honduras because Reagan's CIA used it as the base for their Contra war against Nicaragua's dreaded Sandinistas.
It was clear then and on subsequent trips that the U.S., viewing everything through an anti-communist filter, had consistently aligned itself with the most violent, repressive and authoritarian forces in the region to the detriment of our standing in the world. We not only trampled our principles but did so in a way that made us hated and feared by people who yearned for nothing more than the freedom we claimed to embrace and champion.
Returning to Honduras in 2004 with the Center for International Policy to support Padre Andres Tamayo and his followers in their 'Marcha Por La Vida' (March for Life), we demanded an end to illegal logging and the resultant rape of the countryside. It was another rich but frustrating experience. Threats to Tamayo's life (five environmentalists had already been murdered) and attempts to destroy the Marcha were foiled, but as inspiring as it was to walk with the good Padre, it was depressing to see that so little had changed over the years. The vast majority remained poor and powerless while the wealthy controlled business and dominated social and governmental decision-making, carefully coordinated with counterparts in North America.
Padre Tamayo's popular movement struck a chord, however, and the effort we supported led to some progress in democratization, including the election of President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales in 2006. And that year we returned to meet with President Zelaya and celebrate the establishment of Democracy Without Borders, a project of the Center for International Policy.
For all Zelaya's ineptitude, his attempts at environmental protection and efforts to make economic changes that confer a degree of opportunity on the underprivileged made him anathema to those long in control of the levers of power. Last month, unable to accept his attempt at constitutional reform, they acted, forcing him out of the country at gunpoint and setting off a storm of protest from the people.
The coup, though fronted by Roberto Micheletti, the former head of Congress, is clearly the child of wealthy influence brokers and a power-hungry military. If successful, it promises the return of the bad old days and bodes ill for the region.
The UN General Assembly quickly condemned it, as did the Organization of American States, the European Union and heads of government in the region. How then do we understand the Obama Administration's dawdling? Has the anti-communist filter been exchanged for a pro-business one?
Former Ambassador Robert White, now President of the Center for International Policy and an expert on the region, says the solution is simple: all Secretary Clinton need do is have U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens call a press conference in Tegucigalpa and, with the OAS representative at his side, read the OAS resolution and state that the return of President Zelaya is firm U.S. policy. Then he can stand back and "watch the coup regime unravel."
Instead, Honduran citizens are dying in pro-democracy demonstrations and others are murdered or disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Failing to restore a stolen presidency makes a mockery of Obama's words at the Summit of the Americas. So what keeps Secretary Clinton from denouncing this theft of government and demanding the return of the elected president? Certainly her relationship with Lanny Davis, the well-connected DC lawyer who has been hired by the financiers of the coup to be their U.S. mouthpiece can't supersede support for democratic rule... Can it?
Mike Farrell, author of "Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist" and "Of Mule and Man," is spokesperson for Concern America and a member of the board of the Center for International Policy.
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The vital interests of the USA are not involved here. This is an internal Honduras problem. The USA has very little reason to do very much of anything; so far, it has not done very much of anything. Which is the right thing to do. The USA, in regard to Latin America, should carry on with basically ignoring Latin America. The Administration has other problems deserving of attention. Latin America is a distraction. keep it that way.
I'm so glad that something close to 50% of the people here actually get the Hondurans' belief in real democracy rather than socialist dictatorships and their plans to hold elections on schedule in November.
If only our Supreme Court had the huevos theirs have.
Obama reflexively supported Zelaya, but as a constitutional lawyer, he has to know that they were justified in their actions. Hopefully that is why he's softened his tone and backed off. The other option is that he's just weak and indecisive w/foreign policy, the other distinct possibility.
Actually Mike, it is not the duty of the United States to police the entire planet and rid it of Dictators, genocide, lawlessness, and unfair political practices.
The world has an agency called the UNITED NATIONS that is supposed to do that. All the countires of the world pay that agency, THE UNITED NATIONS, billions of doallrs to promote world peace and to prevent injustices. So, what do we actually get for that money?
Tell me Mike, what exactly are we getting for our UN money? In the last 50 years when has the UN ever acted in a proactive manner to prevent a problem? I can think of dozens of times the UN reacted in a reactive and useless manner that had little or no impact on issues or even aggravated issues but I cant seem to reacall any UN successes in preventing genocide, coups, startvation, disease, etc....
Enlighten me. Tell me why the U.S. needs to waste more U.S. dollars beyond what we waste on the U.N. to take unilateral action to solve Honduras internal problems instead of having the WORLD AGENCY that was created and financed to do exactly that solve the problem? Well? Why?
I agree. We have enough problems at home. Let's look out for number 1.
You know, you probably have the moral high ground here. Unfortunately, we're kind of low on troops just now. Why don't you get together a volunteer expeditionary foce, a la TR's Roughriders, and go on down there yourself and commence to setting things right. Barack will probably send you some help as soon as it's available.
The President is wrong on this. The Constitution of Honduras allows for the removal of a President who attempts to break the law of the land.
BO has done a great job of marginalizing HRC. She's doing photo ops and whistling about global warming to people that don't care and he appoints a spec envoy to every interesting region/country.
With what's left, VP Joe trapes over all the flowers on a regular and amusing basis.
I suspect she's fine with that as she does not want to be associated with the One's Presidency any more than she has to be.
Regardless of what they might say, no one really cares about Honduras. Sorry.
Mike, thank you for the intelligent blog. Unfortunately I ask every day....whe
I hate to say that your country is a total shambles because of your corrupt political system.
Forbid lobbying, today.
and set some term limits on congress.
Thanks, Mike, for trying to focus on the urgency of this matter. Like other nations within our hemisphere our doorstep runs with the blood of martyrs sacrificed for some semblance of true democracy over the onerous weight of corporate imperialis
I think so. When we ask "Where is the USA" we may find, if history repeats, that we are there, we are the them that we officially decry against.
And all opposing your article may in fact be coallog millionaires representing their bosses. Their whine indicates you have wounded a beast. May we chain it to the wall of justice like a bad dog.
One coup for Honduras -- Four new Air Force bases for Columbia
As Naomi Klein would say, "No Obama is not four more years of Bush... Obama is going to be far worse then Bush."
How eloquent. Too bad they have a constitution, right? This was not a coup. Also, I'm far from a millionaire. Sucks when your guy breaks the law and pays the consequences.
Wow...when I read the headline, I assumed that this was referring to the brave, and apparently doomed, attempt by the people of Iran to escape the boot of vicious thugs and tyrants...
I thought to myself, as I waited for the page to load: is it possible that I finally agree with Mr. Farrell on some point?
Maybe next time.
The are two frameworks that shape US policy towards Latin America - The Monroe Doctrine and The School of America.
Obama and his administration are no different in this regard; that is a real shame, but not something unforeseen - so, I can understand the "backyard" making conciliatory noises, at the same time as it makes sure that their alliances and interests are safeguarde
The rug, as in the Honduran episode just now, has been pulled from under their feet one too many times.
Mike- sorry, but other nations are entitled to their own issues. The United States, steeped in our own problems, has no right what so ever in going to these countries to condemn them. We may not like what's going on, but that's just too darn bad.
I agree whole-heartedly! In fact, I doubt Mr. Farrell would be so concerned ifit was a right -wing leader who was overthrown. He exposed his real agenda when he decried "..... his attempts at environmental protection and efforts to make economic changes that confer a degree of opportunity on the underprivi
So, since we are in Iraq and Afghanistan through lies, we should leave immediately? After all, their internal affairs are their business, right?
U.S. Air Force base + 600 U.S. troops + 190 million U.S. aid = U.S. backed coup
Above we have Jimsrule saying we should not stick our "nose into Honduran domestic issues," and Mnemanth saying its not our issue and what happens in Honduras, "that's just too darn bad."
But common horse sense tells us that as Honduras goes so goes all the Americas, toward a peaceful revolution or one most violent.
For south of the border the glory days of free-slave market capitalism are gone forever, the more socialists a Latin politician has campaigning for him the more likely he will win, and nationalizing things like oil fields and gold minds is a big crowd pleaser.
For the Bavarian Revolution started Empire USA lost its first coup and surely nothing can overpower destiny, for it is the great arbitrator of truth.
Don't waste your time the world knows the type of debris Zelaya is. He's a thief, traitor wanna be Dictator.
He's not interested in the people. He's a power hungry. He got what he deserve. He digged his own grave.
$ 2.000. 000.00 were stolen by Zelaya's goverment officials. They followed Zelaya's orders. He used the peoples' money in order pay his MOB to help him with the CUARTA URNA. Is that a person who wants the best for the POOR? I have a cousin there she's a doctor and she told that her HEALTH CENTER haven't any medicine for the poor. This was caught on CAMARA EARLY THIS YEAR. I hope this will end soon the poor people in Nicaragua don't want that CLOWN there. The Honduran goverment has to put and his MOB in JAIL. His wife Xiomara doesn't want to be with him. Romeo Velasquez is ready to take her to Nicaragua any time. I wonder why she doesn't want to go? I know why but that's a long history. Comandante "COWBOY" is bad History.
All the fiction in above post is hot off the wire of main stream media USA, the only media in all the world that allows such propaganda to brainwash the public. Our self-absorbed majority being most agreeable to the entertainment of it.
M. Farrell wrote:
"Why has Secretary of State Clinton not flatly condemned this outrageous, illegal coup d'etat and demanded its end?"
Ask Lanny Davis?
Well Mike has his views, they just differ with the facts. He was ousted with support of thier congress and supreme court. Of course Mike follows the Jimmy Carter rule, in that any government run by a socialist or communist dictator is the rightful heir to the government for life.
What Supreme Court are you talking about? The Honduran Supreme Court? The Honduran Supreme Court that a 2009 US State Department Human Rights Report characterized the Honduran Supreme Court as issuing " politicized rulings " and contributes " to corruption in public and private institutions "? THAT Supreme Court ???
America and Americans have no right to talk of other governments human rights record. The US concept of rights applies ONLY to Americans. What does the US State Department report on the shameful slaughter of civilians perpetrated by US forces?
I beg to differ with you, Mike. Zelaya was legally and constitutionally ousted by the government for treason. The US, the UN, and the OAS were and are totally in the wrong to have opposed the legitimate action of a sovereign country. The US initially called the ouster illegal, but I presume that was because the national security adviser to Obama was asleep at the wheel and gave him bad advice.
The only reasonable role for the US right now is to protect Honduras against outside troublemakers (like Chavez) and to urge Zelaya to give up his quest to return for two or three more months. If Zelaya does attempt to enter and remain in the country, he should be arrested and tried.
Above post makes about as much sense as the coup leader on Al Jazeera News who said, "Zelaya turned almost everyone against him by increasing the minimum wage because of the harm it did to our economy."
What economy? Over 40% of Hondurans live on a dollar a day, most of the land owned by ten wealthy families, surely such slave labor oppression cannot rightly be called an economy.
And that's the way the oligarchs like it, and intend to maintain it.
Then why do 60% of Hondurans support Zelaya's ouster? Instead of just saying Dayahka is wrong, how about putting out your facts and citations to prove your case. Dayahka did, why can't you?
Semper fi
I'm no expert, but that's my reading of it, too. The Honduran constitution seems to be extremely clear about this. Am I missing something? It says anyone who does what Zelaya did must be thrown out of office.
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