The Sunshine Empire

When are elections and Democracy good and when are they bad. Hard to tell these days when it comes to most conservatives. Most rallied around George W. Bush’s freedom agenda when he laid down the lives of American fighting men and women for the wonderful panacea of Democracy for the middle east and Iraq. The Bush administration demanded elections in the Palestinian territories even when it resulted in Hamas being in control. But many are taking a curious tact when it comes to the situation currently in Honduras. President Manuel Zelaya was attempting to stage a referendum, that would decide if a referendum could be staged to give him a second term in a change to the Constitution. The Supreme Court of Honduras told him he could not and he said he would stage the referendum anyway. The military then removed the elected head of the country in favor of a member of Congress. The facts are these. Zelaya had a 30% approval rating and could not have won another term much less the referendum. Zelaya was exiled to another country and not kept for trial or any kind of impeachment proceeding. He may not have been the best guy in the world for his people or for U.S. national interests but this coup is walking and talking like a duck. Conservatives interest in Democracy and elections deciding the fates of nations has taken a back seat to the fact that Zelaya was an ally of that goofy puffy guy in Venezuela. Zelaya having been close to Hugo Chavez and Raul Castro and such seems to make a coup acceptable. But conservatives do not want to admit as much. The argue that Roberto Micheletti was an elected member of Congress and in the line of succession so it’s not a coup (despite the military removing his predecessor.) They also argue that it was done at the insistence of the unelected Supreme Court in the country. Again I don’t see how that avoids the fact that they are unelected and he was removed from the country he was democratically elected to lead by force.

Conservative principles are always pliable when it comes to their favorite boogie men.

Related posts:

1. Why Do Conservatives And Republicans Hate Democracy?
2. Deconstructing The Sudden Conservative Disdain For Democracy
3. SCOTUS Sides With The Constitution
4. Does Anyone Care About Madagascar?
5. Dying For Democracy