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Comments

• [1] Gary from USW July 06, 2009 - 09:35AM

  Why are NPR and WNYC wasting our time with reports on Honduras? Who cares? What's going on with North Korea is vastly more important. Once again, the media misses the lead up to a historic event (like 9/11, Iraq War, Wall Street meltdown, etc.) while following red herrings.

  
  
• [2] Helen from UWS July 06, 2009 - 09:44AM

  WNYC and specifically Brian Lehrer supported and defended the coup of the democratically elected President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez, back in 2002, along with the suspension of their Supreme Court!

  Which was assisted and backed by then President George Bush!

  Let’s see if Brian Lehrer is consistent in his backing of coups in Latin America.

  
  
• [3] Yuri Rosas from Linden, NJ July 06, 2009 - 10:19AM

  I wonder if the defiance to the rest of the world from the ousters in Honduras, has anything to do with the presence of our envoy in that country (the only envoy left in there, among with more than 600 american troops close to Tegucigalpa by the way).

  The invasion of Panama (by us, with our military trained there in Honduras), Iran-Contra (directed from Honduras), our support of El Salvador's civil crisis (from Honduras), the coup of Guatemala's Arbenz (backed by us from Honduras) makes me wonder even more...

  Plus, i read somewhere that the generals behind the shootings and practiced coup, are

  honor graduates from Fort Benning (School of Americas...) THE ETERNAL LINK TO COUPS DOWN SOUTH... DEEP SOUTH. Then we wonder also 'bout migration.

  Reagan, Negroponte, OLIVER NORTH -Jesus Christ-, all of them come to life AGAIN!!

  How is our memory? ...let's play.

  
  
• [4] José Gutiérrez from Midtown, NYC July 06, 2009 - 10:23AM

  We, the US, softly have directed this coup and all coups in LatinAmerica via the 'The School of the Americas (Assassins)' in Ft. Benning, GA where we train this military personnel to oppress their own people and depose governments. This 'School' must be immediately SHUT-DOWN! www.soaw.org/

  Honduran Pres. Zelaya MUST be restored to power to set a legal PRECEDENT otherwise world democratically-elected presidents WILL be deposed based on the inability of the world community to act.

  
  
• [5] Martha from Brooklyn, NY July 06, 2009 - 10:34AM

  The violent seize of power in Honduras was a classic COUP that must be condemned by all the international community. If we went ahead to invade Iraq 'to restore democracy', I don't see why our government is not more forceful to truly restore a democratically-elected leader in our own hemisphere. Would it be because Honduras has no oil or b/c it is in Latinamerica??

  I agree with Helen! Brian Lehrer, the WSJ and the NYT went along with Pres. Bush when Venezuela's Pres. Hugo Chávez was overthrown in 2002. I've never heard Brian explaining his reason for backing that coup.

  
  
• [6] Helen from UWS July 06, 2009 - 10:39AM

  Hugo Chavez has been a straw man, Can any one show were in the Honduran constitution indicates that the elected president can be taken out in the middle of the night by the military at gun point as a legal procedure ?

  
  
• [7] Hugh from Brookyn July 06, 2009 - 10:40AM

  So a court ruling in New York City would have justified Ray Kelly overthrowing Michael Bloomberg. Some logic.

  What about asking your guest from the Christian Science Monitor about the Obama administration's hemming and hawing before endorsing democracy in Honduras. And why is the Obama administration resisting any move that might actually have teeth? One that might put real pressure on the new Honduran dictatorship.

  
  
• [8] Helen from UWS July 06, 2009 - 10:41AM

  This reporter is a Hack, the typical tripe that wright wing spuel !!

  
  
• [9] Hugh from Brookyn July 06, 2009 - 10:43AM

  The caller's point "may have been true in the past"?! His points *were* true! Why does Brian Lehrer invariably back-peddle on any statement -- I mean the unambiguously true ones -- that shows the US in a poor light?

  
  
• [10] Helen from UWS July 06, 2009 - 10:44AM

  The OAS went to Hondurus went on Saturday to make an investigation and discuss the issue with all parties involved.

  Their conclusion was with out any doubt that this was a COUP!

  
  
• [11] Gary from queens July 06, 2009 - 10:45AM

  The honduran legislature and Supreme Court found that Zelaya was issuing an illegal and unconstitutional referendum to remain in power past his term limits. the military was directed to oust him in accord with the constitution.

  if Bush had tried the same thing after november, he wouild have been arrested as well. justifiably.

  
  
• [12] Hugh from Brookyn July 06, 2009 - 10:46AM

  If Zelaya was a threat to democracy by trying to overturn term limits, why aren't Michael Bloomberg and Christine Quinn threats here in New York? At least try for a modicum of consistency.

  
  
• [13] Helen from UWS July 06, 2009 - 10:47AM

  The ousted President was extremely unpopular he was not going to be reelected!

  If he broke the law than impeach him!

  That is the rule of law!

  
  
• [14] Fernando from Jackson Heights, NY July 06, 2009 - 10:48AM

  The US makes a big deal about the referendum Pres. Zelaya was gonna hold, but the Colombian Pres. Uribe has changed the constitution, have held referenda to stay in power and NOBODY is the US talks about that. People only focus on Pres. Chavez.

  
  
• [15] MichaelB from Morningside Heights July 06, 2009 - 10:50AM

  Without weighing in on the specific events that occurred in Honduras, it raises an interesting theoretical question for us in the U.S.

  Besides our long tradtions, what prevents a U.S. from ignoring the other constitutional branches of government and seizing absolute power? How could the other branches restore balance and wrest power away from a "runaway" president?

  It is always a matter of whom the military will back, and when and how do they determine the president has exceeded her powers?

  
  
• [16] Darius from Prospect Heights July 06, 2009 - 10:50AM

  This is ridiculous. It's a coup. The president of Honduras was ousted for wanting to perform a NON-BINDING POLL. There was no potential for "dissolving the Congress" or the Supreme Court. Zelaya may not be a great prez but I'm pretty sure a poll isn't illegal.

  
  
• [17] Helen from UWS July 06, 2009 - 10:50AM

  Brian Lehrer choice of guest to speak on this issue,

  Speaks volumes !!!

  Reelections for what?

  So they can have another coup when that president becomes unpopular also !

  
  
• [18] Yuri Rosas from Linden, NJ July 06, 2009 - 11:01AM

  ...the worst thing is hearing Jason Beabien's quotes, from the corporate media of that country. Not fact checked or anything. Very sad.

  
  
• [19] Helen from UWS July 06, 2009 - 11:05AM

  What most Americans fail to understand as usual is that the people in government office and the top military brass, all belong to the upper wealth power structure in Honduras!

  They are the minority in country that is the second poorest in the Western hemisphere,

  They are going to stay in power no matter what it takes, hence the coup!

  These facts are never mentioned in the press !!

  
  
• [20] Helen from UWS July 06, 2009 - 11:12AM

  I take aception to the comment made by Brian that many Americans do not really care what is happening in Hondurus, may be many white do not care, but Latino people are extremly intereted in this subject matter and events in this part of the world!!!

  Your comment does sound indicate of a preference toward appeasing your Anglo listeners and a dismissive attitude toward Latino people!

  
  
• [21] Benyamin S. from Brooklyn July 06, 2009 - 11:47AM

  What happened in Honduras is not a coup. The world is bullying Honduras for saying no to a Chavez-like dictator and for restoring the rule of law and democracy. Don't give me this democratically elected baloney. Hitler was democratically elected. I'm not saying that Zelaya was a Nazi. But being democratically elected does not make you democratic, as many on the left seem to believe. Honduras is courageously standing up for its democracy while being bullied by the international community including the UN and the hypocritical OAS, the latter of which allowed Communist Cuba to be a member of the body, the same Communist Cuba that commits horrible violations of human rights, as you can see from guys like Armando Valladares. The OAS is threatening to suspend Honduras for defending the rule of law. The pro-appeasement leftist Obama is joining in with Chavez, Castro and Ortega in bullying Honduras.

  
  
• [22] Gary from queens July 06, 2009 - 12:03PM

  Good question by MichaelB @16.

  I think the answer lies in two principles. The first is that nations are sovereign. that means the laws they make must be implemented by them. Not to be reinterpretated by external powers. That's the doctrine Obama applies to Iran, but not Israel or Honduras----nations he thinks he can violate their sovereign rights.

  The second principal is that the branches of government most representative of the desires of the people are the legislative, then the judiciary. In the US, they're termed the Article 1 and article 2 powers----coming before the executive. They're also the more adjudicative branches of government.

  If Russia interceded on Clinton's behalf after he was impeached, you would have the equivalent of what Obama is planning to do on behalf of Mr Zelaya.

  
  
• [23] Betsy from Baldwin NY July 06, 2009 - 12:39PM

  I was disappointed at the the Cristian Science Monitor's reporter on this issue. She didn't seem to have done any research on the legal issues, and just projected the feelings of one segment of the Honduran population.

  Her 'feelings' just validated the problem with the coup...it was based on fear of what Zelaya MIGHT do in the 4a urna, which, if approved would have called a Constitutent Assembly AFTER the national elections. How could a second term happen AFTER the election is over? She didn't even question that.

  He was in a fight with all the branches of govt, but then THEY violated their own constitution in innumerable ways. The military coup leaders admitted to the Miami Herald on Sat night that they knew what they were doing was illegal,and that THEY had spearheaded the coup, not the Congress. I could do on.

  Here's a good alternate press version of what happened yesterday: http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield/what-cowardly-honduras-coup-lost-today-0

  You can see the Honduran version of the National Register announcement of the 4a urn here: www.odecohn.blogspot.com

  This is the time when we need to be questioning authority, especially given the coup leader's media blackout.

  I expected higher journalistic standards from the Christian Science Monitor and was very disappointed that the reporter was so "floja"

  PS I was in the Peace Corps in Honduras, and was just back there in May.

  
  
• [24] Gary from queens July 06, 2009 - 01:06PM

  Betsy from [23]:

  So you were in Honduras and the Peace Corps. And that makes you and Obama think you know better about what is legal under the law of Honduras than the Supreme Court of Honduras and the law-writing legislature of Honduras? The Honduran military acted after Zelaya defied an order by that nation's highest court which pronounced his coup attempt illegal; he has been replaced under a Honduran legal process by that nation's Congress, which essentially impeached him and democratically voted in a successor. That sounds pretty legal to me.

  
  
• [25] DAT from Nathan Housing Projects July 06, 2009 - 01:07PM

  Honduras is a USA welfare client.

  USA provides the weapons, the uniforms,

  the bullets, etc.

  It is difficult to understand, how

  those in Honduras decided to kick out

  their elected president without USA backing,

  or knowledge.