U.S. Press Falsely Claims Honduran Plurality for Coup
Did a CID-Gallup poll last week indicate that a plurality of Hondurans support the military coup against democratically elected President Zelaya? Yes, according to the Washington Post [July 9], the Wall Street Journal [July 10], the Christian Science Monitor [July 11], and Reuters [July 9], which all reported that the poll showed 41% in favor of the coup, with only 28% opposed.
[UPDATE 7/15: The Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor have responded to the criticism.]
But in fact the poll showed that 46% -- a plurality -- were *opposed* to the coup, according to the New York Times [July 10], the Associated Press [July 11] and the president of CID-Gallup, in an interview with Voice of America on July 9.
As of this writing -- Sunday evening, 5:30 pm Eastern time -- none of the outlets which reported the poll incorrectly had corrected their earlier, inaccurate, reports.
In reporting the poll incorrectly, the Post, the Journal, the Monitor, and Reuters gave the impression that more Hondurans supported the coup than opposed it, suggesting that this meant trouble for the international coalition pressing for the restoration of President Zelaya -- which includes Costa Rican President Arias and Organization of American States Secretary-General Insulza, as well as the Obama Administration.
Of course, even if a poll had showed a plurality in favor of the coup, that would not legitimize the coup. But the opinion of the population, even if difficult to discern in the repression following the coup, is without question a key fact in understanding the situation. To misreport such a key fact is to substantially misinform. To fail to correct such a mistake compounds the error.
The incorrect report of the poll appears to have originated in the Honduran La Prensa. But the U.S. press should have checked before simply repeating what was in La Prensa, particularly on such an important fact, particularly because the result was counterintuitive.
But perhaps the result was not counterintuitive for these press outlets, and that may suggest a deeper problem - the U.S. press is out of touch with the majority of the population in Honduras, and therefore credulous to results which misreport Honduran public opinion as being much more similar than it is to the opinions of Honduran elites.
To ask for corrections, you can contact the Washington Post here; the Christian Science Monitor here ; and the Wall Street Journal here.
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Thanks for exposing this myth-jacking.
Myth is not synonymous with lie; it's a metaphorical image of the composition and functioning of the cosmos that shapes the world in which we are enacting this wholly absurd theater of life.
National myths deliver us as a people into our Promised or Waste Land, exactly as we load them with our intentions: passengers into life boats, or kittens into burlap sacks?
Either way we're getting taken for a ride. We need to direct our own passage, but we aren't brought up as self-sovereign citizens.
Instead, we're taught to be loyal subjects, fans, of a political master of a mechanical universe; to demonstrate our loyalty by our fervor when presented with patriotic symbols.
We're conditioned to go kill or die at the whim of an imperious president "for god, king, and country."
In this way, the power of myth is being used to power weapons-grade domestic propaganda.
Our myth says: God loves us the most, that's why we're destined to rule the earth forever, amen. God bless America! (God damn the rest of you.)
Since we're doing the work of the Big Guy Upstairs, says the myth, we can do no wrong; likewise, anyone who opposes us also opposes God, making them 'evil-doers' of whom we are duty bound to rid the world.
Factual arguments, however well phrased, often fail to move electorates, but the power of myth never fails
Good time to watch the documentary "The Panama Deception" . It will open your eyes to how much our mainstream media is the propaganda tool for Latin American conquest and domination.
The Monroe Doctrine is alive and well since 1823.
It is quite apparent that President Zelaya had sufficient support within the government and of the citizens to amend the Constitution, and this is why the wealthy-elite within the Supreme Court had the President overthrown by a special cadre of 2-Generals.
The elite if the Supreme Court summoned two Generals (grduates of the Pentagon "School of the Assassins" in Ft Benning Georga, that not only illegally deposed the President, but them compounded the illegality by flying Zelaya out of the country.
At first the Supreme Court used the excuse an article of the Constitution was violated that does not allow change of term limits, but even am elementary level education would realize the article could also be amended permiting term limit amended.
In fact the elite of the Supreme Court had the President overthrown before the government could meet the next day to take up the Presidents proposed emending the Constitution. It is also obvious this 'Banana Republic' again had the greasy fingers of the US Corp-Gov on it.
Even if 90% of the hondurans hated Zelaya that does not mean you dump the guy in pajamas at a foreign airport. There is a thing called Rule of Law that is supposed to exist in every civilized country. That is why all civilized nations have disapproved of this coup. Inexcusable.
is a real shame that you people try to impose a comunist in honduras if you love that too much why you try to live in a comunist country if you like it
Jose-Macnamara, as a propagandist your showing yourself outdated, Corp (privitization) no longer calls ordinary citizens 'Communist', in case you missed a part of history Russian Communism fell.
Today modern propagandists of Corp-privitization and Banana Republic's call ordinary people "Maoist", apparently meaning the Democracy of China. We still accept "Islamofascistterroristrebels" however.
Let the people of Honduras chose their own President, Augusto Pinochet and Alberto Fulimori have taken up new residence, and 80% importation of (all) consumables into America is actually costing US-jobs. It is time for leaders like Chavez (Venezuela) who went to China and signed Trade Agreements, instead of the Democratically better way of shipping factories, technologies, and jobs to China.
Thank you for an informative article, and also for the links.
So glad you nailed it snowball because this is a real problem and a Truth that the peons (you and me and the rest of people who do real work for a living) of this world need to understand. We have the Internet, so borders are a thing of the past. We are not powerless just actionless. So far.
Yes most honduras don´t want Zelaya back, one thing is if supports the sucession, other if he deserves comeback, if someone hasn´t live in Honduras in Zelaya goverment is lost as an owl in daylight. Maybe the 30% of approval of his govermment done early these year was wrong too. Is funny that haw non-hondurans try to defent the undefendable, please Castro defending democracy, is the top of hipocresy.
hemml1939,
Don't want to shock you, but most that you get from US-Media is propaganda, entertainment, and misinformed.
Did you know that dictator Batists was helped taking over Cuba, not onece by the US Corp-Gov, Batista was helped to become dictator of Cuba twice.
The three Western Industries in Cuba under Batista were
1) Suger
2) Tobacco
3) Mafia
The Mafia made Cuba great place to vacation for the wealthy, they were provided with gambling, and children as sex-toys. A true Democracy by todays standards.
These news outlets could have easily checked to find the real results, but I hesitate to believe that this failure was merely lazy journalism. It fits a systematic pattern that we have seen in the US corporate media going back at least a half century. The corporate media in the US is little different from that in Latin America, it is the mouthpiece for oligarchy.
Worth consulting: the Z magazine coverage of this. For example: http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/21821, or counterpunch: http://www.counterpunch.org/burbach07032009.html
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