International Media Malfeasance

As the isolation of Honduras grows and the Organization of American States continues to demand that ousted president Manuel Zelaya be reinstated, the United States has suspended military cooperation with the country. Whether that means that we will stand by and watch in the event of a Venezuelan invasion remains to be seen, but Hugo Chavez has hinted at the possibility of military intervention without comment from Washington.

Fueling the misguided support for Zelaya are numerous and frequent reports on the matter which consistently refer to the actions of the Honduran Congress as a "military coup". While it is true that the military removed Zelaya from his residence and arrested him, it is also true that they did so on the orders of Congress and the Supreme Court. Of equal importance is the fact that the military then handed the reigns of power over to the Honduran Congress' Speaker, Roberto Micheletti.

Despite the undeniable legality of the actions of Honduras in the ouster of Zelaya, our own administration is demanding that he be returned to the presidency at once, and "news" organizations continue to misrepresent the situation. One such outlet goes a step further.

Cuba's version of ABC News - the Periodico - offers the following headline:

International Isolation of Honduran Military Regime Grows

"Honduran military regime"? Roberto Micheletti wears a suit and tie, not a uniform. He is not a general or a commander, he was the Speaker of the Honduran Congress. He is also a member of the same political party as Zelaya. The removal of Zelaya was not intended to radically alter the direction of the small nation, but rather a move designed to preserve it. It was the alleged "victim" here who was attempting the alteration.

Zelaya, deciding to emulate Hugo Chavez, was attempting to hold a constitutional referendum that would eliminate term limits, thereby allowing him to continue to run for the presidency. He wanted to be "president for life", just like Chavez. His ouster was not the result of a mere policy disagreement, however. In violation of the Constitution, the wishes of Congress and the orders of the Supreme Court, Zelaya was distributing ballots - ironically obtained from Venezuela - stolen at force from a military center where they were being stored. Everything Zelaya was doing was illegal, and the Supreme Court ultimately ordered him arrested.

For most of the last half of the twentieth century, the United States fought the spread of tyrannical regimes, especially those in close proximity to the U.S. Now it seems that our fledgling leader and his administration are actively encouraging that spread. Obama lifted the 60-year-old embargo on Cuba, travelled and apologized to Venezuela and Nicaragua, and now has demanded the return of a criminal president who was removed as required by Honduran law.

And state-run "news" outlets - including our own - continue the campaign of misinformation. Change was promised and delivered in breathtaking fashion. I barely recognize my country anymore.

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Revelations From The Honduran Upheaval

And how it may affect the United States

With the recent spate of celebrity deaths - two suddenly and occurring in relatively young men - and the sensational sentencing of Bernie Madoff today, it's small wonder that the ousting of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya by the military and the ensuing mayhem has not caught the attention of the average American. Many have only heard of Honduras in the abstract and know little of her, nor do they care all that much, which is somewhat understandable, but there is a huge significance to the events unfolding there that may indicate more clearly the mindset of our own leadership here.

Once again appearing eager to aid in the destructive machinations of Obama, the media have already shifted their collective headlines - which they know full well is what a great many people read and remember - to portray the situation in Honduras as a "coup". On its face, a coup conjures images of a military overthrow of a government, which is true to a point in this instance. What is different, however, is that this military overthrow was clearly justified as a means of preserving the constitution and rule of law in Honduras against the wanton disregard of those very things by her president.

Zelaya was dragged out of bed early Sunday morning by his own military for violating the country's constitution. As the Wall Street Journal reported today:

That Mr. Zelaya acted as if he were above the law, there is no doubt. While Honduran law allows for a constitutional rewrite, the power to open that door does not lie with the president. A constituent assembly can only be called through a national referendum approved by its Congress.

But Mr. Zelaya declared the vote on his own and had Mr. Chávez ship him the necessary ballots from Venezuela. The Supreme Court ruled his referendum unconstitutional, and it instructed the military not to carry out the logistics of the vote as it normally would do.

When Gen. Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, Zelaya's number one military commander, advised him that he must abide by the Supreme Court's ruling, Zelaya fired him. When the high court ordered the general reinstated, Zelaya refused.

On Thursday, Zelaya led a mob and broke into the military installation where the ballots were held and, in defiance of the Supreme Court, had his supporters distribute them for an illegal vote on the referendum.

Our own secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, was quick to join forces with Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro and Daniel Ortega - and the Organization Of American States - in condemning the actions of the Honduran military and began pressuring the country to return Zelaya to power. This is all in response to a people and their military fighting to uphold the value of their constitution, and our own politicians are aligned with the forces of tyranny.

And now Barack Obama is calling this action by the Honduran military "illegal", declaring that the United States still recognizes Manuel Zelaya as the rightful president of Honduras. Perhaps his most revealing comment was that he believes this action sets a "bad precedent".

What an intriguing choice of words. I would think that a truly American president would stand shoulder to shoulder with any peoples who defend the constitution and laws of their country. Perhaps I am wrong, and that this president is trying to set - in his mind at least - the proper precedent; the one he needs to finish his job.

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