As a reasonably avid fisherman, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, or told someone else, “You should have been here last week!” In fishing, this usually means one of two things. Either the fish were really biting the previous week or you’re trying to convince the other fisherman that you’re not completely inept. Interestingly, this phrase is also applicable in politics.
Glenn Garvin from the Miami Herald lays out the explanation of events leading to the Honduran “Coup.” Garvin doesn’t really provide any information that hasn’t been explained elsewhere, at least in terms of the events. He does however, correctly refocus the debate from what happened last week to what happened in the week(s) prior to last week:
Here’s a question for all these new-found defenders of Honduran democracy: Where were you last week? Perhaps if some of these warnings about sticking to the constitution had been addressed to President Zelaya, the Honduran army would still be in the barracks where it belongs.
Garvin correctly calls out the United Nations, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama asking why, if they are so concerned about the constitutionality of the new President of Honduras, they weren’t raising concerns about the activities, clearly unconstitutional, of President Zelaya during the previous weeks.
While Garvin doesn’t address it, I would also ask why, if President Obama doesn’t believe the US should “meddle” in other country’s affairs, he has chosen to insert himself in this situation. Let’s see, Iran, don’t meddle, Honduras, meddle. Cuba, don’t meddle, Israel, meddle. I’m beginning to wonder if Obama’s “don’t meddle” policy only applies to countries that have a current or an heir apparent dictator at the helm?
Like in fishing, “You should have been here last week” has multiple meanings in politics. It can either mean, “Things went really well last week,” or it could mean that the person you’re conveying the sentiment to is inept and should have been paying attention to and engaged in the events of the previous week.
From the people of Honduras, “Hey, President Obama, you should have been here last week!”
