Meanwhile, in Nicaragua
When I was in college it was chic to love the Sandinistas. They had three things going for them: they were romantic rebels going up against a gouty strong-man; Reagan opposed them; the Clash named an album after them. Never mind that there was something Fielding-Mellish-like about Ortega - the Sandinistas were cool! Jump forward a few decades, and let’s see how that hero-worship plays out:
Nicaragua’s constitution limits presidents to two non-consecutive terms. Having previously served from 1985 to 1990, during the Sandinista revolution which toppled the Somoza dictatorship, Mr Ortega is doubly barred from running again. Mimicking his Venezuelan ally Hugo Chávez, he has tried to abolish term limits. When the required 60% majority in parliament proved elusive, he appealed to allies in the Supreme Court, who ruled that the re-election ban violated his human rights. Mr Ortega has since illegally extended the terms of these justices.
To justify this, leaders of his Sandinista Party ordered the printing of a rewritten (but bogus) constitution during a public holiday in September. The electoral authority, also illegally stuffed with allies, has accepted Mr Ortega’s candidacy, which is celebrated in roadside billboards lit with pink neon.
Understated all the way. Don’t expect him to lose:
The president will be difficult to unseat. Although his trampling of the constitution has prompted a cut in Western aid, donations from Mr Chávez, said to amount to some $400m a year, have more than offset this loss.
Why is there any Western aid at all, you ask? See my first paragraph.
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Nov '10
Re: Meanwhile, in Nicaragua
The Sandinistas always bragged about 100% literacy rate, didn't they? I never thought that was a big deal, since every letter in a Spanish word is pronounced. That's why they don't have Spanish spelling bees, because all you have to do is sound the word out.
But I bet Gioconda looked caliente in her fatigues.
Sep '10
Re: Meanwhile, in Nicaragua
Adding to Jim's it-was-cool-in-college theme, I once had a "Say no to Contra aid!" bumper sticker on my rusty Honda Civic. Yes I know...It was very clever. One night walking to my car from the bar (the Stagger Inn, no less), I found the sticker torn from the bumper and Marine Corps stickers plastered on my windows . Fascists! I thought. It took a few years to realize that at least the vandals were nice enough not to put the stickers on the body of the car.
Aug '10
Re: Meanwhile, in Nicaragua
Have they changed the voting requirements again, are all the 14 year olds now sixteen ?
Where does former President Jimmah Carter stand on this ?
And do those 10,000 dead miskito indians get to vote finally ?
Anybody have Ollie North's cell phone number ?
Oct '10
Re: Meanwhile, in Nicaragua
The tactics aren't particularly clever but you have to admire the brazenness of it all. It makes me wonder why Dick Cheney bothered to shred the constitution when he could have simply distributed a revised version.
On a different note: I don't know if he coined the term, or not, but P.J. O'Rourke refers to those particular American college kids as "Sandalistas". It has always amused me.
May '10
Re: Meanwhile, in Nicaragua
If we quit sending cash to all the countries it was trendy to support at some point in the past 50 years, we could almost pay for the favors the Obama administration has given the UAW!