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July 01, 2009

As Crusader Pointed Out So Eloquently Below

...the Honduran el presidente was attempting the Hugo-ian subversion of a happily democratic state.

..."Manuel Zelaya trampled the Honduran constitution by pushing for his illegal referendum to allow him to rule indefinitely, and by firing the top military official, Gen. Romeo Vasquez Velasquez, when he refused to comply with Zelaya's unconstitutional orders," said Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fla.

Zelaya, the ousted leftist leader, ignored a ruling from the Honduran Supreme Court, warnings from the military and opposition by a sizable swath of his country's population when he maneuvered to amend his country's constitution, apparently in hopes of extending his own rule.


In light of Obama's pitiful, miserable reaction to a clear attack on a free and functioning society, I was wondering how many American Central American ex-pats had voted for him...while watching more cold-weather-state types laying down $400+ grand for Honduran beach houses last night on "House Hunters International".

Free of revolutionary tumult for generations, there's a considerable number of Americans who have made Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama home for the better part of the year, or just moved there permanently. Some established households have even started shifting to Panama and Honduras, as Costa Rica starts to tug the welcome mat back a smidge:

The Costa Rican government recently proposed several new measures in regards to immigration that could severely change the retiree and expat situation. Their aim, in theory, is to dually combat the large influx of mainly Nicaraguan migrant workers as well as the increasing stream of North American moving to the country. With the proposed increase in monetary qualifications for both prospective rentistas and pensioners, many would-be North American expats may be turned off by such a move, particularly in the current financial environment.

The Costa Rican immigration authority, Migracíon, has recently been quoted as saying that the immigration situation in the country is “out of control” and that stricter requirements are desperately needed. In response, the government has proposed to increase immigration requirements for pensioners from $600 a month to $2000 a month, while rentistas face an increase from $1000/month to $5000/month. Basically, to qualify for Costa Rican residency you will have be able to prove that your pension or monthly income equals or exceeds the amount for whichever category you fall into, rentista or pensioner.

In light of these astronomical increases, it is clearly evident that potential retirees and expats could get hosed on this one. According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, the average pensioner in the U.S. receives around $1100 a month, far below the prescribed requirement. And, as the U.S. has one of the highest pension averages in the world, these requirements would have a worldwide effect; for example, Canada - a major contributor to the Costa Rican expat and retiree scene - has an average of around $700 a month.

The government in San Jose continues to claim that these requirements are “easily attainable”, which, from their point of view, is understandable. Milk the cow. If a steady cash flow continues to arrive via North America, it is not surprising that a government would try to keep pressing to see what the ceiling is; that is merely good business. However, in this case it would appear as if the proposed requirements far and away exceed any rationality.


That's pretty benign on its face, right? But (having heard first hand from a Panamanian dwelling ex-pat, whose neighborhood is swelling with migrating retirees) there are other rumblings causing a general sense of unease. So you pack up and move to friendlier environs. Easy cheesey. And you live in your American bubble that everything's hunky dory.

No one ever seems to consider the fact that the third world country they've just bought a home in could go wonky at any time ~ that rules could change overnight. It has a beach, I have a piece of paper that says I own it, the natives are friendly and I'm a U.S citizen, so why worry?

I'm having problems visualizing the Obamanator sending in the Navy (à la Bush in Lebanon) to off-load terrified American 50-somethings who don't read the paper, probably voted for him and have no clue why Spanish speaking thugs with weapons frogmarched them out of their hacienda at zerodarkthirty.

If they have any awareness of what's happening at all, I hope they have the sense to worry. Not only about the Hondurans, but ~ considering the American Precedent's endorsement of constitutional circumvention ~ whether anyone at home will answer when they light up the Bat Signal for help.



I wouldn't count on jack from this guy.

Posted by tree hugging sister at July 1, 2009 08:42 AM

Comments

Great post, sister!

Posted by: Val Prieto at July 1, 2009 12:50 PM

"I wouldn't count on jack from this guy."

I suspect that this is true WITHIN the United States as well, within whatever political parameters Obama is following at the moment. Witness his response to the murder of the abortion doctor by an anti-abortion fanatic, versus the murder of two soldiers in Arkansas by a Muslim on jihad.

If we have another terrorist attack*, I expect The Won™ to respond in a similar fashion. And that's within the US of A. Outside? Spot on, Sis. Spot on.

=======================
*: I say "if" only because I don't know for sure, but I harbor no illusions about the possibility. And I say "terrorist" because I think "man made disasters" is a prime example of the weapons grade stupidity gushing from the Obama Administration.

Posted by: JeffS at July 1, 2009 02:14 PM


I wouldn't count on jack from this guy.

Oh, I dunno. I think you could count on some pretty impressive hemming and hawing.

Posted by: mojo at July 1, 2009 02:31 PM