As Mary Anastasia O'Grady at the Wall Street Journal has consistently pointed out, the U.S. government is incorrectly calling the ouster last June of Honduran President Zelaya a military coup. In fact, he was exiled from the country for an offense and in a manner that is specifically spelled out in the country's constitution. As she notes in her article today, our own Congressional Research Service now agrees: "Available sources indicate that the judicial and legislative branches applied constitutional and statutory law in the case against President Zelaya in a manner that was judged by the Honduran authorities from both branches of the government to be in accordance with the Honduran legal system."
To my great dismay and even shame, her article also points out that the Obama administration persists in trying to pressure the Honduras government to reverse its decision despite its constitutionality. Earlier it suspended hundreds of millions of foreign aid, and now our State Department has revoked the visas of all 15 members of the Honduran Supreme Court.
Given Zelaya's known ties to Venezuela's Chavez, it seems clear to me that Obama is a better friend of Latin dictators than he is of Latin democracies.
"..it seems clear to me that Obama is a better friend of Latin dictators than he is of Latin democracies."
ReplyDeleteThis along with that thousand watt grin and bear hug he laid on Chavez a few months ago should lay any lingering doubt to rest. I remember all the scary smart "analysts" at the time declaring it as some diplomatic master-stroke by Obama. I saw it as a logical outcome for a community organizer who sat in Rev Wright's church for 20 yrs and palled around with guys like Bill Ayers.
"There goes Obama, palling around with turrists agin!"
ReplyDeleteHow tiresome. Here's a chart for you, Scott - gosh, what on earth happened during the reign of St. Ronald?
http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/09/the-irving-kristol-legacy.php
Are you sure you want to open this can of worms?
ReplyDeleteTo begin with, the chart is misleading. The debt held by the public reached a high of only 50% in the early 90s, not the 70% shown in the chart. The real burden of the debt should not include T-bonds held by social security and other government agencies.
Two, by far the major source of the increase in the debt/GPD ratio under Reagan/Bush was increased spending, which was controlled by a Democratic Congress.
Three, the major sources of the decline in debt/GDP under Clinton was cutbacks in military spending and the temporary revenue boom generated by the dot-com boom.
Four, Democrats spent decades wringing their hands over the Reagan, Bush, and Bush II budget deficits, yet now they aren't at all concerned that Obama's deficits are going to eclipse all of the others put together in fairly short order.
Five, Democrats always assume that fixing a deficit is as simple as raising tax rates, and that is the proper and moral thing to do. What they utterly fail to consider is that raising tax rates does not guarantee whatsoever that tax revenues will increase.
I could go on, but let me end by saying that not for a minute do I condone Republican deficits or spending practices. I think the whole climate of Washington is polluted and the country is in desperate need of rethinking the role of government spending and tax policy.
Tragic that O favors socialist dictators over champions of democracy. Great posts Scott thanks much.
ReplyDeleteTax
ReplyDeleteTax
Spend
Spend
Dear Leader almost makes me wish for the days of Jimmy Carter ... almost
.. seriously , Scott , great site , thanks for the interesting charts and analysis , appreciate all that you do
It is amazing and dismal the endless fascination of lefftish inteligentsia and politicians for tyrants such as Chávez, Castro or Almadineyahd. Our Prime Minister likes nothing more than a trip to these countries, but appraisal coming from the USA president makes thing far worse, and even dangerous for the whole Latin América, which have missed decades of economic and social growth because of this kind of people.
ReplyDeleteTxsaddletramp ran out arguments real quick.
ReplyDeleteBig surprise.