"These terrorists...we have seen their kind before. They're the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, Nazism and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way to where it ends in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies."
--- George W. Bush, Sep. 20, 2001
If you were driving on one of those country roads, you could probably see the edges of the camp, but you wouldn't realize this is a special camp.
More here and here.
And a question to President Obama, here, by Diane Lefer.
"Every nation has a choice to make. In this conflict, there is no neutral ground. If any government sponsors the outlaws and killers of innocents, they have become outlaws and murderers themselves."
---George W. Bush, Oct. 7, 2001
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Police and soldiers clashed with thousands of protesters outside Honduras' national palace Monday, leaving at least 15 people injured.
ReplyDeleteIn Washington, Obama said the United States will "stand on the side of democracy" and work with other nations and international groups to resolve the matter peacefully. "We believe that the coup was not legal and that President Zelaya remains the democratically elected president there," Obama said.
"It would be a terrible precedent if we start moving backwards into the era in which we are seeing military coups as a means of political transition rather than democratic elections," he added. "The region has made enormous progress over the last 20 years in establishing democratic traditions. ... We don't want to go back to a dark past."
The Organization of American States (OAS) called an emergency meeting for Tuesday to consider suspending Honduras under an agreement meant to prevent the sort of coups that for generations made Latin America a tragic spawning ground of military dictatorships.
The president of Latin America's largest nation, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said on his weekly radio program that his country will not recognize any Honduran government that doesn't have Zelaya as president "because he was directly elected by the vote, complying with the rules of democracy."
Mexico's government, one of the most conservative in Latin America, joined the OAS in denouncing the coup and offered protection to Zelaya's exiled foreign minister.
Meanwhile, Obama is under fire from Republicans who say that he's failed to show leadership on Honduras. "The president of the United States is supposed to lead the free world, not follow it," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said today. "He's been timid and passive more than I would like."
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said a slow or muted U.S. response risks undermining the aspirations of the Honduran people for democracy. "If America stands for democracy and all of these demonstrations are going on in Tegucigalpa over there, and people don't think that we really care, then obviously they're going to question, 'Do we really believe in our principles?'" Grassley said.
Oops! My bad.
ReplyDeleteAs it turns out these last two comments by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) were actually about Iran and not Honduras.
Sorry about the confusion...
Actually, according to Gateway Pundit, "today is a day of liberty in Honduras"
ReplyDeleteAnd this on Twitter from Newt Gingrich.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there is always of course the "top stories" on the manufactured Opinion pages of Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal, "Honduras Defends Its Democracy - Fidel Castro and Hillary Clinton Object", in which Mary Anastasia O'Grady explains that the coup is not a coup at all, and that the Hondurans are sure to be "celebrating" Zelaya's removal.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the author, "Street protests against [Zelaya's] heavy-handed tactics had already begun last week."
Besides, she tells us, "the president had also become persona non grata with the Catholic Church and numerous evangelical church leaders." So there you have it: "Democracy in action."
Coups were common in Latin America for four decades reaching back to the 1950s, but Sunday's ouster was the first military power grab in Latin America since a brief, failed 2002 coup against Chavez.
ReplyDeleteTrivia Architect gives you the year of the coup and the coup maker. You give him the country.
Ah, the Catholic Church.
ReplyDeleteThey offer a form of conservatism which is most dry, and dusty. One reflecting back on precious relics such as Saint Teresa's teeth (which I saw for sale once in Avila, Spain. Were they real?)
I know nothing about the Honduran government. But I do know a little about the Catholic Church. (A great, great uncle was a bishop, an aunt a nun: all pro Franco. And, of course, Cardinal Spellman. What a merry crew.)
Last I heard, the Catholic Church had canceled all masses in Tegucigalpa and asked that people stay home and pray.
ReplyDeleteAnd here is the National Catholic Reporter's take on the situation in Honduras. The paper is not a member of SIGNIS, has no official church oversight and frequently dissents from official Church teaching.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting question raised by Meg White (a Buzzflash News Analysis):
ReplyDeleteWhen two upsets of democratic order happen in succession on different sides of the world, they invite comparison. The coup over the weekend in Honduras occurred in a different manner and under different circumstances than the unrest following the clearly flawed Iranian election a few weeks ago, but the protests and subsequent crackdown from authorities (as well as the repression of media and communications) certainly have a familiar ring.
Why then, is the media coverage of the two events so disparate?
Gateway Pundit: "We need our own generals in the military to lead as well as Honduras's military! This is a cry for help from all Americans to our own military!"
ReplyDeleteAre those people for real?
That's the voice of American fascism.
ReplyDeleteAnd why do I suspect they may not be too happy with Obama being black?
And that they believe the Chinese forged his birth certificate?
And that because his middle name is Hussein he belongs to the vast billion member worldwide jihadi conspiracy?
But we are all familiar with that story.