Honduras and Democracy

By Jeff Harding

Manuel Zelaya and Hugo Chavez

Leftists around the planet are condemning the Honduran army for ousting President Manuel Zelaya in a coup. Our own country sided with the Latin leftists in their condemnation. Hugo Chavez threatens to restore Zelaya to power. Is democracy threatened? Should he have remained in power?

I would say no. The army did the right thing within the context of politics in South America.

The word “democracy” is held in the highest esteem around the world for something it doesn’t always represent: freedom. Just because you can vote, doesn’t mean you are free. Hugo Chavez is a case in point. He was elected by a majority of the people (mostly have-nots) in Venezuela. So what. That doesn’t make it right. Pure democracy just means that a majority of people can take away the life, liberty, and property of the minority. Understand that if some are denied their inalienable rights, then none have them.

Presidente Chavez de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela

In Venezuela the middle-class hate Chavez because he is establishing a typical Castroite leftist strongman dictatorship. He is running the country into the ground, stealing property and capital from anyone who has it, and is grabbing power for himself to perpetuate his personal paranoia and aggrandizement. Listen to a translation of any of his marathon speeches. He doesn’t make any sense. The man has no concept of economics and human rights. He sounds like Castro with his rantings about the fatherland and the evils of capitalism and the U.S.A. He is dangerous because he uses Venezuela’s oil money to spread his ideas and power across the region. And he needs the U.S. — as a scapegoat to deflect blame for his economic failures.

So what that “the people” voted Chavez in. Even if it was a fair election, he’s not a valid leader. Like most third world countries concepts such as individual sovereignty, private property, and inalienable human rights are given lip service and are ignored in the pursuit of power by megalomaniac caudillos. Chavez is no different than any gang or mafia or warlord running a country. He rules from the barrel of a gun. I guarantee you that Chavez will never lose another election in Venezuela.

So “democracy” is not a big deal, alone. What our founders clearly understood was that pure democracy could be dangerous and they feared the common man for what they likened to the rule of the mob. So they curtailed the power of government by enshrining the standard of individual liberty and personal rights into our constitution (“life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”). We aren’t famous for being a democracy; we are famous for being a constitutional republic. Unfortunately for us, those limitations on the power of government have been gradually stripped away as powerful presidents have sought and gained more power over us.

From what I have read about Zelaya, he ran as more or less as a centrist and quickly moved to being a typical leftist-socialist-populist. He was seeking to change the constitution to allow him to run for another term. Honduras’ military, the congress, the supreme court, and about half the population opposed the unconstitutional attempt by Zelaya to run again. He was cozy with Latin leftist leaders Chavez, Bolivia’s Evo Morales, and Ecuador’s Rafael Correa.

Danny Ortega (Nicaragua) Hugo Chavez (Venezuela) Evo Morales (Bolivia) Manuel Zelaya (Honduras)

Let’s be clear on the moral aspect of these events. There are very few governments in Latin America that support individual rights and capitalism. Most don’t respect their own citizens. Honduras is probably typical of the usual band of kleptocrats that use government to enrich themselves. Corruption, heavy regulations on business, and a good old boy system leave them mired in perpetual poverty. Yet, Chile, the one country that is somewhat capitalistic and economically better off than its neighbors is reviled by the leftists of the world as being evil.

But I would say, that your average Honduran will be better off without Zelaya. With Zelaya, I could write the script of their eventual slide into caudillo-socialism. Like Venezuela, the strongman will consolidate his power, confiscate the businesses of international companies and the autocrats, spend the money they seize on a few schools and hospitals, build up the military to threaten their people, curtail individual liberty, and gradually watch the country slide into stagnation, (worse) massive poverty, and dictatorship. Unlike Venezuela they don’t have oil to feed the state. Then the military or the people will kick out the dictator and start over again.

It’s quite sad.