I have written previously about the Slippery Slope metaphor:

The metaphor itself is so striking that it leads to confusion, giving a sense of momentum and inexorability which are not necessarily there.

Still, it captures the idea of one thing leading to another with no real way of staying Stop.

So, what if you are a country who sees its President scheming to extend his power and using illegal or at least legally dubious tricks to achieve that, such as trying to run an illicit referendum and shipping in ballot papers from another country known for playing fast and loose with democracy?

When do you stop him? And how?

What if he ignores court rulings and presses on anyway, hoping to use the power of the state machinery improperly to get his way?

Here's a plan. Just bundle him out of his office in disgrace.

The struggle against chavismo has never been about left-right politics. It is about defending the independence of institutions that keep presidents from becoming dictators. This crisis clearly delineates the problem.

If there is one thing we can be sure of in our weary world, it is that it is safe to want an outcome which is the most unlike the one clamoured for by Chavez/Castro, as alas supported absurdly by President Obama.

Stick with it, Honduras.