Or Else What?

I always get a chuckle out of these international ultimatums.

Today the OAS has given the Honduran coup leaders "three days" to undo their takeover of that government.

The universal response to threats like these is, "Or else, what?!!"

Every kid in the world has asked this after being threatened. You and I did it, remember? You see it in cartoons and kiddie flicks all the time. And it carries the exact same weight as when it's applied by the O.A.S., the U.N., or any other of these impotent, insignificant world organizations. It means nothing.

Does anyone really expect anything else? Seriously. When do remember anyone obeying one of these?

I don't care if your a petty little dictator in some forlorn African state, or Hugo Chavez, or Kim Jong Il, or these Honduran military nuts. Nor does it ever mean anything to China, Russia, or the United States.

My opinion has always been to be very careful with threats, unless you intend to back them up with meaningful consequences. Otherwise, they are utterly useless and a waste of breath. Beyond that, empty threats can actually lead to bigger issues. Threats that are unsupported by real action simply encourage unacceptable behavior. Remember a crappy little guy named Saddam Hussein? Suppose the world leadership behind the U.N. had actually enforced all of the smallish threats made year after year on that guy? I think it's very possible that we would have choked him off well before George Bush, practically alone, had to finally pull out the stick.

Threats are fine. But they really don't mean anything coming from any of the current world organizations whom have already lost their credibility through inaction.

Threats should be measured and then absolutely reinforced by capable entities. All these other things are not just laughable, they are tiring and dangerous.