The circus in Honduras continues on. Like in Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia Manuel Zelaya, the Honduran President wanted to change the constitution so as to be able to stand for another term. Alarmed by this prospect the Honduran army threw him out of the country in his pajamas. Unable to get back his office he has sneaked into the country and has taken refuge in the Brazilian embassy. From here he is making wild allegations of being gassed by the army and is asking his supporters to take to the streets or, in other words, he is trying to start a civil war. He is behaving as though the country is his fief and he is willing to sacrifice any number of lives to get it back. Staging a coup is wrong but it is a greater wrong to change the basic tenets of the constitution so as to cling on to power. In poor countries promise free goodies to the illiterate underclass, get elected, build up a power base by distributing largesse to your supporters at the cost of the economy, change the constitution and stay in power until the country is bankrupt after which flee to a friendly refuge and live in luxury. Papa Doc Duvalier and Mengistu did that, Mugabe is very close to it and Chavez will get there in a few years. The stupid poor who gave power to the scoundrel in the first place end up suffering the most. If this crisis in the Honduras prompts a rethink of ' democracy ' then it will be good. We desperately need citizens' corporations to check politicians and reduce their powers. But will politicians allow that?