If you’ve been paying attention to the mainstream media, you might be surprised to learn that important events have transpired in the last 48 hours – other than than Michael Jackson’s death.   Perhaps most notible was the recent coup that forceably removed the Honduran president Manuel Zelaya from power.

For those of you who are unware of the circumstances surrounding Mr. Zelaya’s forceful removal… allow me to briefly bring you up-to-date:  Mr. Zelaya was nearing the end of his term as president.  Instead of taking the proper Constitutional measures to allow him to run for another term, he decided to bypass the law in order to maintain power (the more elaborate version of the specifics can be found here).  The Supreme Court of Honduras ruled that Mr. Zelaya was acting in violation of the Honduran Constitution and prohibited him from running for another term.   This ruling had no affect on Zelaya and he persisted in his attempt to maintain his power.  As a result, political and military leaders acting in coordination, arrested and deported Mr. Zelaya for his illegal and dictatorial tendencies.

Now, being the “on the ball” guy that he is… Obama immediately came out with a statement highly critical of the military and political leaders that had instigated the Coup.  He noted his “concern” and implored that “democratic norms” be respected.  In a short but firm statement, Obama said:  ”We believe that the coup was not legal and that President Zelaya remains the democratically elected president there”.

This rather strange quote lead me to opine on twitter:

“Obama says the Honduran coup was “not legal”… well, by that measure, neither was the Declaration of Independence.  What’s your point?”

My point, of course, was that the whether or not a political activity is “illegal” is not the only relevant consideration we should entertain when judging foreign affairs.  Sure, coups are never legal… but they may nevertheless be justified  – and their moral justification may exceed the injustice of “illegal” activity.  But I am making the mistake of accepting Obama on his terms…  After all, was not the justification for removal because of President Zelaya’s illegal activity?  But this inconvenient fact seems to have evaded Obama.

I could not have put things better than Andy McCarthy:

What on earth makes Obama think he knows 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. I am the first to admit I am not an expert in Honduran law, but I’d bet the Honduran Supreme Court has a better grasp on it than President Obama. On the issue of what is legal in Honduras, as between Hugo Chávez and the Honduran Supreme Court, our president has decided to go with Chávez.

It seems, Mr. Obama, that you are in dire need of a basic lesson in international diplomacy…  a lesson I like to refer to as the “serendipitous turn of events” rule.  Mr. Obama, when the world hands you a country full of democratic individuals overthrowing their oppressive and dictatorial leadership… it shouldn’t really matter how the events unfold.   In fact, how is pretty irrelevant — especially considering it has already been done and there is nothing you can do about it.  In these sort of situations, it is best to just let that country solve problems their own way… and offer whatever political, economic, and moral support you can.

In other words, don’t ‘F’ up a serendipitous change of events just because in a perfect world it might have happened differently.

Mr. Obama, believe it or not, the rest of the world does not solve all its problems the same way we the United States solve our problems.  Are you not the very same person who continually lectures the U.S. about “imposing our values” on the rest of the world?  You say this but then hold Honduras to American standards. Furthermore, given we are on the topic of your inconsistencies, wasn’t it just weeks ago in Cairo where you said:

No matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who hold power: you must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party. Without these ingredients, elections alone do not make true democracy.

How about taking your own advice for once and just do the American thing for once — supporting those who want freedom from oppression.  Just this once… try it… you might like it.