Several things need blogging about and there is not enough time. There is Walter Cronkite's death as well as Leszek Kolakowski's and the need to weigh up their separate achievements, Cronkite's, I am glad to say, collapsing as we speak.
I have been reminded that not enough has been written about Honduras and western reaction to the ousting of the president who was attempting to undermine the country's constitution.
Then there are the anniversaries: today is the anniversary of the July Plot, the unsuccessful attempt on Hitler's life; tomorrow is the anniversary of Neil Armstrong making that small step for man and giant step for mankind.
As I said, talk amongst yourselves while I get my thoughts together.
In my experience, the silence from UK politicians on the events in Honduras has been bewildering and puzzling, and the reaction of the EU in threatening to withhold funding if Zelaya is not allowed to return is outrageous (though hardly surprsing from that organisation). And the knee-jerk reaction of Obama in condemning the Honduran government for seeking to uphold their Constitution and democracy was scandalous. It is abundantly clear there was no "coup" as the media have loved to call it, but a pre-emptive action against a President hell-bent on imposing a Chavez- or Castro-type dictatorship on his country.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that blogs have not covered the scandalous way the media and politicians have treated Honduras, and I sent the following to CentreRight, with the hope that they would commission of their writers to publish something: " … I am surprised there has been no comment from William Hague or any other spokesman from our Party on the dire situation in Honduras. Here is a country democratically ruled and desperate to maintain its Constitution (having the support of its Congress, Courts and Attorney General), and to prevent ex-president Zelaya establishing a Chavez-style dictatorship. The fact that Zelaya has financial, and probably military, support of regional demi-dictators of Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia and especially Venezuela, should loudly ring warning bells. And yet, bewilderingly, the free world has seemingly turned its back on a democratic country fighting to remain free. It is about time the Conservative Party made it clear that it supports the present legitimate Honduran government in its hour of need …"
The media, also, has been notably silent, with the honourable exception of Gerald Warner in the Daily Telegraph. One expected silence from the BBC, given their friendly attitude towards Chavez and allies. I hope, Helen, you will find time to write at length on the Honduran situation.
In a way the problem is that we do not see it as something that concerns us and it does not directly. Indirectly, on the other hand, we should be paying attention to the fact that a potential left-wing tyrant tried to undermine the constitution, is foiled and we support the tyrant. Mind you, most of the Western establishment and media still mourn Allende. One could think of Zelaya as a latter-day James II, I suppose. I might take that line when I finally write about it. ;)
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