Welcome to the Banana Republic of America

Ivorycoasttribune.com

In 2010 the West African country of Ivory Coast held an election.

Their then-incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo was unhappy with the outcome, a loss to his challenger,  current President Alassane Ouattara. Gbagbo refused to leave the palace, surrounding himself with troops, some of whom were killed in the ensuing brouhaha.

Eventually, Gbagbo was arrested by pro-Ouattara troops, who extradited Gbagbo to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity. The legal proceedings went on for eight years. Ironically President Ouattara is currently serving his third term as President and is considering running for a fourth despite the Ivory Coast Constitution appearing to limit any president to two terms. Whoever is in charge simply makes up the rules as they go along.

Such is the madness, the lawlessness and the corruption in many third-world countries. Select laws are ignored. Others are manipulated by the party in power for their own benefit. Troops, police and the power of government are used to enforce the wishes of those currently in charge. Truth, justice and fair play are widely absent. 

Unstable governments are not in short supply around the globe. Sudan, Algeria, Libya, Eswatini, and Somalia all immediately come to mind and a long list follows. Latin America has a long history of dictators. In any of these places, cruel leaders, angry mobs, corrupt law enforcement or some combination of all three are typical. Any semblance of structure and stability crumbles and ultimately it is the common citizens who suffer. America’s immediate neighbor to the south, Mexico, is so steeped in corruption that for many there, seeking out law enforcement for assistance has become the action of last resort.

The Washington Times