Applying the Lessons of Iran to the Honduran Crisis
3. Offer direct talks with the United States. It’s always good to have a group do the talking (such as the P5 with Iran, or the six parties with North Korea, or the OAS with Honduras), but such discussions tend to go nowhere. We should talk directly, even with our worst adversaries, and certainly with our longtime friend. It is silly to try to punish Honduras by not talking to it. As Abraham Lincoln or some similar president once said, the “notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them … is ridiculous.”
4. Place no preconditions on the talks. Preconditions just stop talks right in their tracks. Take the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations (please). Israel told President Obama in May it wanted to commence negotiations with the Palestinians — with no preconditions. But the Palestinians insisted on a precondition — one not set forth in the Oslo Process (which resulted in an offer of a Palestinian state on 97% of the West Bank) or in the Annapolis Process (which resulted in an offer of a Palestinian state on 100% of the West Bank, after land swaps). Apparently, the Palestinians were concerned that, without the precondition, they might not receive a third offer of a state, or something. Their confidence perpetually needs rebuilding.
In any event, the U.S. has spent four fruitless months negotiating with Israel on behalf of the Palestinians — reneging on longstanding oral understandings with Israel, ignoring written assurances from a prior president — and the Palestinians have just been standing by, watching as the Obama administration works for them. The Obama Process is already four months behind schedule!
Let’s not make the same mistake with the Republic of Honduras. Do what we’re doing with Iran: no preconditions!
5. Do not set a time limit. Once the talks start, the last thing we would want to do is set a time limit for them, because that will mean we may very well have to end the talks before they succeed. A time limit is an obstacle to peace, since it limits time.
If we find we must impose a time limit, we need to make sure it is one the other side can meet by sending us a memo that ignores our request, offers evasive blather, but can be treated by one of our prominent useful idiots as something that “bears close scrutiny.”
6. Do not worry if what we want to talk to Honduras about is not on the agenda. Perhaps Honduras will want to talk about applying their safeguards for democracy to all the other countries around the world. Perhaps Honduras will want to discuss how their single-term constitutional provision has worked for them and suggest that the real problem is that the U.S. allows two terms. Perhaps they will say that they have already spoken directly to our secretary of state and told her “no” (and given the same answer on multiple other occasions) and request that we start the talks by informing them what part of their prior answer we do not understand.
None of this should matter: there is simply no way to know for sure what their position is unless we first call them by their proper name, send them a video, offer direct talks, put no preconditions on them, do not set a time limit (and don’t enforce it if we do), and do not worry that they won’t put our concerns on the agenda. This is what we have done with Iran and — unlike Honduras — talks will start on October 1. The smell of a Nobel Peace Prize is already in the air.
Just like the Iran policy this Honduras policy is a disgrace. Obama is a disaster.
Can there be any doubt that Obama is on Chavez’ side?
The facts are known, any sane intelligent person understands that the Honduran constitution was upheld and the Republic was protected as called for in the constitution.
There was no coup regardless what the former MSM claims repeatedly. They can and have said it a thousand times but that does not make it so. The actions of the media in the U.S. only show that they are little more than a propaganda tool for the leftist
For the current Marxist regime in the U.S. to adopt the position they currently have put forth with regard to the Republic of Honduras is a disgrace to all Americans and Americans should be ashamed that they have allowed their government to sink to the pathetic level it now resides at.
The American people need to understand they are being fed a line of B.S. from the media and the current U.S. administration.
All the objective facts support the current government in the Honduras, and I challenge anyone to provide hard FACTUAL evidence to the contrary.
Obama does not want to support the Honduras Constitution because he’d have to support the American Constitution as well. These are inconvenient documents that the President would prefer he could ignore. After all he is getting ever more buddy buddy with people like Chavez and did not support the Iranian people when Achmadinijad stole Iran’s elections and squashed the people’s revolt.
The policies of this Administration are moving America (if not downright Remaking it) into a Marxist or fascist tyoe of government. The people need to keep putting the breaks on the Congress and the President. This is America and it does not need to be “Remade”.
Here’s another option:
1. Mind our own damn business.
The libs like to complain that we have been sticking our noses in other countries’ business. Here is a perfect opportunity to stop. The Republic of Honduras will be having elections and it’s not like they are building nuclear bombs…
What would happen if the US military did the same thing to their Socialist/Communist President that Honduras did to their Socialist/Communist President?
#6 Tod, that would be fine if the Supreme Court and Congress ordered it after a lawful impeachment type of procedure. This was the case in Honduras. You have a problem with that?
#6 Tod
You might want to do a little research on the Honduran constitution and the facts surrounding the removal of the former president.
I am really not trying to sound like an smart ass here but your post , at least IMO, sounds like you really do not know the facts surrounding the event.
The Honduran Constitution is actually very clear on the law(s) that required the former president to be removed from office.
Tod
If I misunderstood the meaning of your post I apologize.
The U.S. constitution and the Republic of Honduras Constitution are not one in the same…. Apples to Oranges …
However a point to remember.
The Honduran military did not undertake these actions on their own accord.
The Honduran military was instructed by the Supreme court after voting, in the Honduran Congress, confirmed the courts opinion.
There was NO military coup. The military was acting in their role set forth in the Constitution (you may want to read it) and as instructed by the Congress and the Supreme Court of Honduras.
The military is not and has not attempted to act as the government controlling agent. Civilians have retained control of the government as written in the constitution.
Any media (or anyone else for that matter) that refers to the situation as a “Military Coup” is either uninformed on the subject or purposely misleading (lying) to their readers/listeners..
tommyd, you are 100% right on the money.
It’s outragous! Where does this Obama freight train to hell end?
I hope more people wake up soon..I really do.
tommyd, well said!
I’ll add that the Supreme Court’s vote declaring Zelaya’s acts illegal and requiring his removal was an overwhelming 15-0 (including 8 justices that were from Zelaya’s own Liberal Party).
Removing Zelaya from office was without a doubt constitutionally valid. The fact that Zelaya was “democratically elected” has no bearing once he engaged in illegal acts, just as it had none for Illinois Gov. Blagojevich. A democratic leader’s legitimacy derives not only from “the people’s will,” but from following the framework of established laws. Hence both Blagojevich and Zelaya became illegitimate rulers when they broke the law.
Though I support Zelaya’s removal, I do have issues with him being exiled. Nowhere in the Honduran constitution does it say a political leader, once removed, should be given a one-way ticket to Costa Rica. Micheletti himself noted this was a controversial act when he wrote in the WSJ, “Regarding the decision to expel Mr. Zelaya from the country… without a trial, reasonable people can believe the situation could have been handled differently.” Micheletti argued it was necessary to exile Zelaya, given his penchant to cause mischief. Though he may have a point, that argument, legally speaking, doesn’t jive well. And it’s hard to believe that trying him in Honduras would’ve caused more ruckus that exiling has.
Obama’s position on Honduras is yet another example of our new “sacrificial appeasement” foreign policy: we must sacrifice those who should be our friends, in the hopes of making peace with our enemies.
Thus:
- We sacrifice Israel to appease the Arabs.
- We sacrifice the Iranian protestors to appease the Ayatollahs.
- We sacrifice Honduras to appease Chavez.
- We sacrifice the Sudanese refugees to appease the Sudanese government/the Arab League.
- We sacrifice the Cuban protestors/exiles in order to appease Fidel/Raul & Co.
- And finally: we sacrifice our Polish/Czech allies to appease the Russians.
It all makes sense when you see it through B.O.’s looking glass. Pity he doesn’t realize that “sacrificial appeasement” will simply leave us with fewer friends and bolder enemies.
Right on Tommyd. And Chileno #12 is one of the best insights I’ve seen in a comment in a long while.
Who in this world would have ever imagined they would see the day when the United States of America took sides with violent communist dictators against the constitutional government of a free republic.
old soldier: good advice, the Hondurans can handle their own business with out an American government option.
“How Obama can deal with the great presidential dispute in six easy steps.”
Six steps ???
Just one is enough:
Elections on 11/29.
Tommyd and Chileno – you guys get it. Wish we could convince our president and SoS of these things.
Viva Honduras!
“A review of the Obama administration’s use of smart power with respect to Iran offers six lessons that can be duplicated in Honduras.”
What total crap. “Smart” power? There is nothing smart about it, and it has nothing to do with power. Has Richmond forgotten what he learned in Marxism 101? Power comes out of the barrel of a gun, not out of a teleprompter. Obama is just a 7-11 – his door is open 24/7 and and the tingle he gets when his door opens blocks his hearing along with trying to remember which lie he told last time. So all the pundits that keep telling Obama what he should do are just wasting their breathe and their allotted white space.