From unknown source.

Honduras teaches the United States about Democracy



                Is the future of the United States democratic system being
played out in Central America today? I hope so!

                You may have heard what has happened in Honduras during the
past couple of weeks. Here is the story in a nut shell as told by a
Honduran--not the US media.

                Honduran President Manual Zelaya has been at odds with the
Honduran Congress and Courts for many months, seeking to increase his power
and authority to levels similar to those wielded by Hugo Chavez in
Venezuela . But according to the Honduran Constitution, its president can
only serve a single four year term. With his Presidency coming to an end in
January, Zelaya was not happy with that situation, so he decided to try an
end run play.

                He decided to sponsor a constitutional referendum to allow
him to continue to serve as president. The only problem is, the Honduran
Constitution does
                not give him the right to do that. Any constitution
referendum must be called by the Honduran Congress. Not bothered by that
minor detail, Zelaya contacted his buddy, Hugo Chavez, and had ballots
printed and ballot boxes prepared in Venezuela and flown to Honduras . The
Honduran Supreme Court declared Zelaya's actions unconstitutional, but
again, he was not deterred.

                A couple of weeks ago, when Zelaya directed the military to
distribute the ballots and boxes, the top military commander refused, citing
the Supreme Court. President Zelaya promptly fired him. The Supreme Court
ordered him reinstated. Zelaya refused.

                Still undeterred, last Thursday Zelaya led a group of his
supporters to break into the military installation where the ballots from
Venezuela were being stored and then had his people distribute them in
defiance of the Supreme Court's order. By the way, elections in Honduras are
supposed to be managed and overseen by the Honduran Election Tribunal,which
was not involved in any of Zelaya's efforts.

                Sunday morning, acting under orders of the Supreme Court,
the Honduran military dragged Zelaya out of bed at 6 AM, arrested him, put
him on a plane in his pajamas and flew him to Costa Rica , and released him
They literally threw him out of the country.

                The Honduran Congress immediately met in emergency session
and designated its president as the interim executive as stipulated in
Honduran law. It also said that presidential elections set for November will
go forward.

                Honduras has one of the strongest democracies in the world.
When Presidential elections are held, typically 80-90% of the eligible
Population votes (compared to only 50% in the U. S.). This situation
clearly shows how democratic checks and balances are supposed to work.

                When the President tried to overstep his bounds, the
legislative and judicial branches stepped in and did not allow it. You might
make a case that Zelaya should have been arrested and held in Honduras , but
he was exiled in order to minimize the probability of violence. Obviously,
he will have an even better opportunity to state his case while not in
confinement. In fact, he has already been invited to address the U. N.
General Assembly.

                So where does the U. S. government stand on this situation?
Well, Obama stands shoulder to shoulder with Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro and
Daniel Ortega in calling for Zelaya to be re-instated as President!
President Obama said
                the U. S. government believed the takeover was "not legal"
and that Zelaya remained the country's leader! U. S. press secretary Robert
Gibbs said "We're seeking to restore that democratic norm in Honduras , and
haven't changed the recognition of who we believe is the president of that
country"!

                So much for the United States being the world's biggest
supporter of democracy! Even worse than the situation in Iran , where Obama
remained silent while protesters were slaughtered in the streets by an
oppressive government, in Honduras Obama has gone on record as calling for
the re-instatement of a leader who has been ousted by his country's
legislative and judicial processes! One might ask WHY?

                Well, consider this; Nowhere in the U. S. Constitution does
it give the government the power to fire private company employees. But how
many bank and automotive executives have been forced out by Obama's
administration since January 20th?

                Nowhere in the U. S. Constitution does it give the
government the power to own private companies. So how did the government end
up owning 70% of General Motors Corporation?

                Nowhere in the U. S. Constitution does it give the
government the power to set salaries in the private sector, as Obama's
administration is currently doing in banks that have taken TARP money.

                Nowhere in the U. S. Constitution does it give the executive
branch the power to appoint a Czar to make rules governing private industry,
that role is reserved for the legislative branch of our government. Nowhere
in the U. S. Constitution does it give the President
the power to set aside contracts. So how did GM bond holders end up getting
the shaft while the unions profited?

                In fact, all of these things are prohibited by the U. S.
Constitution. Like Zelaya, Chavez, Castro, and Ortega, President Obama
does not believe a country's Constitution should limit his power.

                Unfortunately, our Congress and our Courts have yet to show
the courage and determination that the Honduran Legislators and Supreme
Court have shown.

                Isn't  it amazing that we have to look to a small country in
Central America to see how democracy is supposed to work, while our
President sides with the likes of Zelaya, Chavez, Castro, and Ortega!