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Poor Oscar… he goes from Nobel Peace prize winner to negotiating on behalf of Hugo Chavez! I guess Karma is coming back to remind him that you have to be careful about what you preach and what you do in life!
I bet he wishes the Honduran military had dropped Zelaya on someone else’s doorstep right about now!
I’m sorry to see him get stuck in the middle of this, he’s done a good job and earned a well deserved reputation… but this situation has placed him in a spot that “win or lose” he comes out soiled!
Edited on Jul 11, 2009 13:32
Interesting… I’m told (have not confirmed this yet) Obama made a speech in Africa that in part stated “Africa doesn’t need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.”… perhaps he’s realized his error on jumping on the wrong side with the Honduran situation….
Seems the “institutions” in Honduras stayed strong and removed a strongman in the making.
Impeachment might be the way you deal with a sitting official that plays by the rules… but for one that attempts to use his MILITARY to get his way after being told “NO” by the other two branches of government… a stronger move is needed!
If you look at government as a three member leadership team (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial) two votes carry the argument. Here two parts did make their will known…. and the third made the choice to ignore that and attempt to use the MILITARY to get his way. Hence the action taken by the other two. Pretty simple isn’t it?
As for amending a Constitution… sure you can… you just don’t go about it without the support of the other two branches of government with 6 months left on your term, and when told “NO” by the other branches of government, try to use your military to get your way… you can be pretty sure that’s NOT the way the Constitution says it’s done! If you review the 22nd amendment to the US Constitution that you point to you’ll find it was approved by Congress in 1947 and voted on and passed in 1951. So as you can see the process involves approval of the Congress… and takes some time. But perhaps Zelaya confused the rules Hugo plays by with that of the Constitution of the country he was leading.
Sounds like a challenge! But I have to admit… I’m very jealous of Scott’s new home… and the time it went from an empty lot to the wonderful home he has today! His lady did a wonderful job with the decorating and the place looks like it’s been there for years! It’s really been fun watching the progress and seeing the dream become the fantastic home it is today! Perhaps you might share photos as you build your dream house?
Edited on Jul 10, 2009 15:42
Thanks Kimball… I do however feel the Honduran military could have been a little kinder… when they dropped Zeleya off on the tarmac in San Jose in his jammies they could have at least given him a change of clothes, some flip-flops, Suntan lotion, and some spending cash for his surprise vacation… but I guess not shooting the guy was as benevolent as they were going to get!
Nice score by the way…. but don’t think about giving up your day job!
Good points Sprite. As for Zelaya’s conduct. He was attempting to place a public referendum out that was in direct violation of the Constitution of Honduras… something apparently placed in the Constitution to avoid this very situation… something he had been advised not to do by his Congress as well as the Supreme court… so his answer was to go ahead with his plans anyway and called on the MILITARY to make it happen. I’m pretty sure that’s NOT how it’s suppose to happen in the Constitution of Honduras. He was attempting to USE the military to override the express instruction of the Congress and the Supreme Court! So there you have a second violation, the act itself and the means by which he was attempting to do it.
When the military leader declined he FIRED him. Does this sound like someone that was going to play by the rules and have the courts remove him? Chances are he would have fired the Supreme Court as well as the Congress… right from the Hugo book of streamlining government! LOL I’m pretty sure Hugo made short work of his congress and the courts when they expressed an opposing position to his.
So what are we left with in Honduras, a largely intact functioning elected government with a newly appointed president minus a former leader that thought he was above the other parts of government that said NO to his plans to violate their Constitution. A country that’s minus a man that was unwilling to listen to this Congress and the Courts and instead attempted to use his MILITARY to impose his wishes. An independent judiciary that is willing to stand it’s ground… and a military that’s smart enough to understand how the balance of power works in government. Sounds like a pretty good thing to me!
As well as elections that will occur in November… and a bunch of world leaders that jumped too quickly siding with someone that might not REALLY be wearing the white hat will have to wait and see how Hugo and the gang take this setback! We’ll see how “worldly” these leaders are then!
And while you make it sound as if this was action taken independently by the military that wasn’t the case. It was undertaken by the military at the request, and with the full support of, the elected Congress and the Supreme Court. And since these actions were the results not of a solo rouge Military leader and have been carried out by the elected Congress of Honduras as well as the Supreme Court… do you think they got it wrong and the only one right here is Zeleya? This wasn’t the case of a select few “using the military to impose an opposing view”… this was one man attempting to do so and having the checks and balances in place to insure democracy rise up and put him in his place.
Edited on Jul 10, 2009 12:03
“Since when is a military take over a legal move?”… A better question perhaps is… Since when does a president ignore his Constitution, the direction of his Congress and the ruling of his Supreme Court and attempt to get his military to carry out his wishes anyway?
But is it the Military that’s running Honduras now? It doesn’t seem that way! The Military took action based on the direction of the Supreme Court and the Congress of Honduras. And remember it was Zelaya that attempted to USE the military to run his attempts to get around the Honduran Constitution after being told NOT to do so nor receiving the support of the Congress and the Supreme Court. When the military said NO he fired the military leader. If ANYONE was attempting to undermine the Constitution of Honduras using the Military it was Zaleya himself! And I have to ask once again… if the Congress, the Supreme Court and the Military were not with Zelaya in his actions… WHO WAS? Who had his ear… where was he getting his direction? I guess he underestimated his power as well as the intelligence and determination of the other parts of government he chose to ignore. Bad move on his part!
As to your reference to Germany… you got the characters wrong… if comparing situations it was Zelaya that would have been cast in the role of Hitler…
This coup was the result of Zelaya’s attempts at changing the rules… and he was clearly warned! The constitution of Honduras stands, free and open elections will be held later this year, and the world will go on. The big question is how far Hugo and the gang will go to reinstall Zelaya… and what type of response the world will have then if Hugo’s tanks cross the boarder to reposition Zelaya at a post when he doesn’t have the support of law… his courts… his congress…. and military! Then the real choices will have to be made by these so called world leaders that have made their judgment. We’ll have to see how this one plays out!
Edited on Jul 10, 2009 12:09
Hey Ed… Sorry if the Jesus reference was a problem for you… not your cup of tea I guess, perhaps the Moniz one was more to your liking?
So… What elected official would (or has) come out in favor of a coup? NONE… The very endorsement of the idea (a coup) is a threat to their very position so why would they? But then again, are these same world leaders (that have passed judgment already on the events in Honduras… and so quickly I might add) claiming they’re more knowledgeable than the Honduras Supreme Court, it’s Elected Congress, and the Military as to the situation, the facts, inner workings, problems, and politics of Honduras?
It would seem these same world leaders have enough on their plates already and have real trouble leading their own countries to have the time to be MORE informed as to Honduran politics then that of the folks that are DIRECTLY involved in the situation. Yet that hasn’t stopped them from making their judgment on the situation has it? They all jumped in line immediately… including the US President.
I’ll ask you a question… How many of these same world leaders do you think made an INFORMED decision as to their position after taking into account the facts and circumstances involved… and how many just played follow the leader? My position is that the Supreme Court and the Congress of Honduras are in a much better position to judge this situation and their response then the world leaders you point to… or you and I for that matter. Yet it seems no one has the desire to listen. It seems the judgment was made overnight by these world leaders. And who might I ask was supporting Zeleya’s attempts to change the Constitution if the Law, the Supreme Court, the Congress, and the Military were against it?
Perhaps the judgment of these world leaders was based on the action (coup) rather then the reasons for it. Certainly NOT the way to choose sides! This wasn’t your normal military coup dreamed up by some rouge General that seizes power.
It was the organized removal of a President that had gone off the reservation after being WARNED by the ELECTED Congress and the Supreme court that he was taking actions contrary to the law. And it was carried out with the full support of the Congress and Supreme Court. Perhaps recent history in Central/South America gave these folks a VERY good idea about where things were going. Perhaps not the cleanest way to resolve the problem, but other then a bruised ego Zelaya came out alright.As for finding someone to mediate the situation, while I don’t have a person in mind… perhaps someone that hasn’t come out so strongly in favor of one side and provided sanctuary and a political platform to that same person would be more likely to succeed. Placing Oscar in this position allows for failure because of his previously stated position. A GOOD mediator doesn’t place himself in that position and then think he can succeed. So when things breakdown in these talks these same world leaders will condemn Micheletti as unwilling to negotiate… yet can you REALLY claim it was a level playing field?
I do hope Oscar finds a way of getting himself out of this… because no matter how it works out there’s going to be a problem… NO winners. Perhaps if Zaleya had Hugo’s oil wealth he could have pulled this off… blind the poor with some crumbs and grease the palms of the greedy but stupid.
Edited on Jul 09, 2009 22:57
Hey Ed… I didn’t say he wasn’t qualified… the man has earned his reputation as a negotiator… I said I was sorry to see him get into the middle of this one! I don’t see how someone that has already made his position well know on the world stage as to the situation can be seen as an “independent” mediator looking to broker a deal. Would you be surprised if Micheletti feels that Oscar is less than impartial? And as I’ve said before, we’ll have to see how this one plays out in Honduras in the long run. It would be a shame to see Oscar broker Zeleya’s return only to see Honduras become another Venezuela! He may have earned a Nobel prize that was well deserved, but then again, so did Moniz in 1949… and history has shown us that we don’t always get it right! Heck the Soviets figured that out a year after Moniz was honored calling his work “contrary to the principles of humanity”… and that’s the SOVIETS!
As for trade and diplomatic relations with China and Cuba… I guess the folks that will be enjoying the New Soccer Stadium and all the other goodies China has lavished on Costa Rica since dumping Taiwan may not mind… but for a man that champions peace, democracy, and human rights Oscar sure does keep strange company. These “new” friends send quite a message about the inner workings of the man and his real principles and how willing he is to walk the walk after he talks the talk! We’re not always judged by our actions… many times we’re judged by the company we keep. Jesus may have kept some rough company, but then again… he managed to walk on water and feed the masses with a load of bread and couple of fish… let’s see if Oscar is up to the task! LOL
PS… I don’t think Oscar would mind calling you Ed… so go for it… he’s just a guy like you and me! LOL
Well at least you don’t have to worry too much about tanks waking you in the middle of the night Scott!
As for the talks… sorry to see Oscar putting himself into the middle of this one… but the Cuba and China moves he’s made are a clear signal of his leanings these days…. I wish him the best of luck!
No doubt your experience is common. There’s folks working illegally in Costa Rica in Real Estate and other areas. We’ve had this conversation before. It’s a dirty little secret that folks don’t like to touch on. And since RE sales for the most part are unregulated (everyone is a real estate agent here) and can generate some nice incomes it’s rather an attractive pursuit. And as David pointed out the profits can be rather sizable, or were before the collapse in the economy! And you have to remember this is ALL cash, off shore money, NO 1099’s/W-2’s and for US citizens… money that in many cases one can guess didn’t show up on their US tax returns!
Business is Business… and when business is slow and the competition is tight… there will be those that look to gain an advantage, and having a competitor that’s not operating legally makes that simple! It happens in every business here. Someone drops a dime and next thing you know… you’re getting a not-so-friendly visit from the government. Just ask anyone in business.
Sorry… your post didn’t upset me. Just tried to be upfront with the answer based on the sentence at the end of your post.
“As a permanent resident would i be able to work for a Real Estate company and receive a a wage like those doing real estate illegally?”
I’m not sure what you’re asking… Perhaps you could direct that question to Victor since he has some experience with the issue. Residency is an issue as is what type and how you obtain it. Have you researched that yet? Are you planning on applying for a status or getting married to a Tico… I guess that’s going to be important.
But once again, my original answer still applies. I wouldn’t plan on being able to support yourself working in CR at the moment. If your long term plans are several years off it will give you some time to develop a plan or perhaps a business.
Doing things the legal way is best… Scott always tells you that. When the economy was flying here and elsewhere there weren’t many issues being made with people flying under the radar, with a tighter economy that’s not the case now.
Take the time to work on your dream, Real Estate has always been a boom and bust… money to be made when things are good… and some VERY lean times when it’s bad. If you have experience and are willing to work ANY field can be be fun and profitable.
Good luck with your dream!
Bush may have been a dope… and made some bad choices when dealt a really crappy hand… but I don’t think anyone believed his goal was to become president for life! Nor to move America in the direction we see now.
As for the current president… well it seems each passing day of the new administration makes the Bush years look better and better! Give it a year or two and they’ll be putting out a “W… The good old days” stamp at the post office!
I was however happy to see Obama identify all those tax cheats and use the guise of cabinet appointments to get them to pay up after they were nominated for positions in the new administration! This Obama guy is a sharp guy! But then again we have a Treasury Secretary currently that failed to report a bunch of income and pay the taxes… his excuse… he used Turbo Tax! Genius…. why didn’t I think of that one!!! LOL
There’s a pretty simple answer to your question. If you’re planning on being able to support yourself here working for someone (illegally) at Tico wages… don’t bother… you’ll fail. If you’re planning on supporting yourself selling real estate right now… ditto!
At this moment in time neither is a viable option. Don’t plan on working here to support yourself in any way shape or form. If you’re able to provide for yourself with some type of remote work (via the internet) or have a business you might make it.
Don’t plan a future in paradise that includes bending or breaking the laws from the start… it a bad way to get your adventure started!
Hey Ed…
Looks like you did a little reading on the topic and have come up with some nice input! Thanks for joining the conversation!
The OAS isn’t really all that important since their agenda matches that of many of the Latin America leaders. They don’t seem to have many options but to fall in line with these guys or risk having the whole organization come apart. As for the UN… well they’re just out and out against any action seen as a coup. But you have to remember the UN has been pretty passive as Hugo has taken his country from a free democracy to what he’s got now. They were silent as he removed each of the checks to his unlimited power and now have to deal with him as leader for life like his heros the Castro brothers! They’ve also let other countries in Central/South America slide in this direction without much protest!
As for the UN security council, take a good look at the permanent members and see if you think their judgment on what a freely elected government is really passes muster. Forty percent of that team have “questionable” democratic records and pretty poor human rights records as well. Time will be the true judge of this situation in Honduras… so until then I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I’m glad Honduras is staying the course… Hugo and Hitler both came to power after being removed from their path once… only to be allowed to return.
As for the Mexico situation and Clinton… I think she also took the blame for the gun violence… and their poverty… even with all those jobs exported to Mexico under Nafta. Seems she thinks Mexico wouldn’t have all their problems if the US didn’t exist… but I find that a hard one to buy into!! Perhaps the second largest source to their GDP would have to be honest work in their own country rather than money sent home by folks that have fled. And what’s happening to all that oil money… the number one source of their national wealth?
But I guess we can have one of those “which came first… the chicken or the egg” arguments… was it the drugs that created the addicted junkies in the US that fuel the drug trade or were the junkies already there and have caused the drugs to be imported via Mexico! Either way to take the blame for Mexico’s problems was a big mistake…. let them deal with their own CRIMINALS… we have enough!!!
Next we’ll be taking the blame for the unrest in Chine which has resulted from the economic downturn in the US…. 1000’s of factories have closed in China from a lack of demand for their cheap goods in the US… people there are in trouble, social and economic problems are popping up… and who do they blame…. THE US… because we’re not buying their crap! LOL Perhaps Hillary can head over and make nice, take the blame, and forget to mention we ran out of money!
The world has been feeding off the US for 200 years… both in legals and illegal markets… and now that the well is running dry and the reality of the world economy is hitting home… it’s somehow our fault as Americans… sorry folks… not my problem!
