Obama Fails with Iran and Honduras

Over the last few weeks we have seen two rather encouraging political developments. There have been protests over the presidential re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran and a so-called “coup d’etat” in Honduras. However, there are troubling aspects of these developments, not the events themselves, but the response to them by our own federal executive “leadership.” In both cases mentioned, Barack Obama and his executive branch appointees have entirely dropped the ball as far as expressing sentiments in support of liberty and self-government.

In an extraordinary act of political cowardice, it took the Obama administration ten days to condemn the Iranian government’s violent crackdown on protesters who had the bravery to take to the streets demanding a fair election. Even then, it was not clear whether the administration stood with the protesters who were risking their lives to object to what was most likely a rigged election, or if Obama remained committed to the policy of reaching out to a hostile and – potentially – a further illegitimate regime. 

This past Sunday, the Honduran military removed President Manuel Zelaya from his office and flew him to Costa Rica in exile. The Honduran congress then replaced Zelaya with the president of congress, Roberto Micheletti, who also happens to be of the same political party of the former president.

The reports out of Honduras describe the situation as eerily similar to what Hugo Chavez had recently accomplished in Venezuela – that Zelaya intended to have presidential term limits removed, or proposed to discard his country’s constitution altogether by a “referendum.” The Supreme Court ruled that such a move was unconstitutional and both the Attorney General and the Honduran legislature agreed. Zelaya apparently had little support from even his own party and the citizenry was not behind him. Eventually, the military carried out what their government requested and the average citizen could not do: they removed a potential dictator from the top executive seat in their government.

The first word out of the White House was to condemn the “coup,” even calling the actions illegal, but not to criticize the statist leader who has close alliances with other regional dictators and sought to follow in their footsteps. Unlike the situation in Iran, Obama was very quick to fail at showing support for those seeking to retain their liberties and constitutional law.

Yet, many wonder why the populations throughout the Middle East and Latin America show hostility toward the United States. Could it be that our leadership continually fails to support the very principles of liberty and government that we have thrived under – or the people who attempt to implement them – nearly every time we have the opportunity to do so? Instead of standing up to dictators and oppression, many of our leaders denounce the actions perpetrated by those trying to liberate themselves from tyranny. And it comes as little surprise that Barack Obama (left-wing radical and federal executive usurper that he is) refuses to use strong language condemning statist oppression and corruption.

Even more fundamentally good than standing up for liberty in the face of despotism is the notion of correctly calling the situation in Honduras what it is. The removal of Zelaya was not a coup d’etat, despite the term’s widespread use by practically every news outlet and politician. No group overthrew the Honduran government. In fact, the legislative and judicial branches of government agreed to the actions and adhered to the country’s constitution in both the rulings and decisions leading up to the removal of Zelaya and the swearing in of his constitutional replacement.

If only our citizens and certain politicians had the intellect and fortitude to recognize the abuses of our government and address them accordingly, then perhaps we wouldn’t be staring a soft despotism in the face today.

Manuel Zelaya was intentionally violating Honduras’ constitution and even called on foreign support to do so. The help he sought was from none other than Hugo Chavez. So, it should not startle anyone when we hear Chavez, the Castro’s, and Daniel Ortega – left-wing despots, all – denouncing the ousting of Zelaya as a dictator-to-be. However, it should sound alarms when the alleged President of the United States joins them in their condemnation. As stated many times before, this is either hopeless ignorance and naivety on the part of Obama, or it is intentional and dangerous. Based on what we know of him, leaning toward the latter is not overreaching in any way whatsoever.

During the presidential campaigns last fall, Joe Biden accurately stated that Obama would be “tested” by foreign leaders and global events. As the leader of the free world (whether legitimate or not), he has unequivocally failed when it comes to supporting freedom and those defending or fighting for it. But what else should we expect from a man who has lived his entire life on the extreme left and who seeks to impose his radical agendas upon the last bastion of individual liberty and self-government?

This pattern of cowardice or stupidity may very well end up straining our relations with leaders of reform movements around the globe who seek liberation from their statist regimes. If Obama’s intentions are to ensure that these regimes remain in power or extend their rule, then he is doing an outstanding job. Unfortunately for us, he may be putting this entire country directly in the sights of more potential danger in both the short and long-term. He certainly is not helping our image among the populations who despise us because we rarely back up what we allegedly seek in their neck of the woods: liberty, equal rights for all, and consent of the governed.

Congratulations, Barack Obama. Not only are you attempting to drastically alter the American political system and way of life, but you’re on the wrong side of history when it comes to improving the human condition in other countries as well. It’s a fitting record for someone who was pegged as an extreme leftist from the very beginning.

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