Another Quiet Day....

It was another quiet day here in Tegucigalpa. The curfew has now been lifted for the third day in a row. It is still in effect in the states of El Paraiso and Choluteca. Those two areas border Nicaragua, but it has been suspended everywhere else. A country wide protest march in favor of Mel will begin on Wednesday, August 5, and will conclude on Monday, August 10 in the two major cities, San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. The authorities have warned that they will enforce the law with regards to blocking roadways and the march leaders have agreed not to. We'll see.

Click here for an interview done by the deposed president with a German magazine, Spiegel. He sure sounds like a great guy that cares for the poor and is desiring real change. I have copied my response to a friend right after I first read it.

Here are a few of my thoughts about the interview....

This is the type of conversation that is a part of a more socialist style government. It is not a total fabrication in that there are many programs in a socialist style that are more geared towards the poor than the rich and it attempts to "redistribute" wealth. If the leaders themselves were of a more honest, trustworthy sort, than this ideology would actually be more "christian" in my opinion. Unfortunately, Mel, like other more socialist leaders, are more dishonest than honest so it doesn't work. His appeal is that he is going against the "economic elite" and the status quo which, we all know, hasn't worked for the majority.

I have been reading a lot about the last thirty years here in Honduras. It is not untrue that the "economic elite", which includes most politicians, has not done much to advance the plight of the poor. There are very few social programs, salaries have been kept very low, education is still horrible, and, as we have witnessed for years, the poor have very little to no opportunity to change their plight. The reality is that all government here has been as corrupt as it comes and the rich get richer and the poor?.... well, we know the answer to that.

Mel's administration has attempted to change some of this. I hate that this is true, but it is. The higher minimum wage, as you have heard me say before, is ultimately a better thing for the poor. It's implementation has been horrible, but hte idea of higher salaries is a good thing There has also been an attempt to raise educational standards and improve teacher salaries. Unfortunately, the man is also a criminal that is running drugs, stealing money, and using fear and intimidation to push his agenda. That agenda also included an attempt to re-write the constitution and more than likely eliminate term limits. The economic elite, which is the status quo, does not want things to change as they are satisfied. If Mel wasn't such a crook, then the things he talks about would actually be good for a larger portion of the people of Honduras. Real help for the poor will only come through real social change. A constitutional re-write might have to happen for that to become a reality, but it needs to be done the right way and through legal channels, which Mel did not do. Things have always been broken here. The status quo is not working and the poor continue to suffer. Real change is needed. Will it happen? I tend to doubt it. I don't think the rich and affluent, that dominate politics here, will ever "give up" what they have so that things could really change and benfit the poor.

I am glad that this country does not want a man like Mel as it's president and that they have done something to remove him. He is not the answer... for sure! I hope that those who run this country (the rich politicians) will be willing to explore ways that can really bring about change. I'm not so sure they will because it will take some real change that will be difficult to accomplish. I fear that if they don't do it, we will be in for more of what has always been and there will continue to be no hope for so many of the people I have grown to care for so deeply.

Do I sound like a crazy man?

I want real change here... not sure if it can happen. In the meantime, I think we'll keep doing what we do. Serving the poor the best we can.