Banana republic
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- For other uses, see Banana republic (disambiguation)
Banana republic is a pejorative term for a small, often Latin American or Caribbean country that is politically unstable, dependent on limited agriculture, and ruled by a small, wealthy and corrupt clique put in power by the United States government in conjunction with the CIA and the US business lobby. The term was coined by O. Henry, an American humorist and short story writer, in reference to Honduras. "Republic" in his time was often a euphemism for a dictatorship, while "banana" implied an easy reliance on basic agriculture and backwardness in the development of modern industrial technology. Frequently the subject of mockery and humour, and usually presided over by a dictatorial military junta that exaggerates its own power and importance. "The epaulettes of a banana republic generalissimo" are proverbially of considerable size, usually portrayed in satire with a pair of mops.
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[edit] Background
It was in Honduras that the United Fruit and Standard Fruit companies dominated the country's key banana export sector and support sectors such as railways. The United Fruit Company was nicknamed 'The Octopus' for its willingness to involve itself in politics, sometimes violently. In 1910, Sam Zemurray, who 22 years later would take over United Fruit in a hostile bid, hired a gang of armed toughs from New Orleans to help stage a coup in Honduras in order to obtain beneficial treatment from the new government for his own banana-trading company, Cuyamel Fruit. Four decades later, the directors of United Fruit played a role in convincing the Truman and Eisenhower administrations that the government of Colonel Arbenz in Guatemala was secretly pro-Soviet, thus contributing to the CIA's decision to assist in overthrowing Arbenz's government in 1954 (see Operation PBSUCCESS). Pablo Neruda would later denounce the dominance of foreign-owned banana producers in the politics of several Latin American countries in a poem titled La United Fruit Co.
[edit] Modern usage
In modern usage the term has come to be used to describe a generally unstable or "backward" dictatorial regime, especially one where elections are often fraudulent and corruption is rife. The foreign influence may be political or economic, but the point is that a banana republic is controlled or heavily influenced by foreign corporations, either directly or through their government.
By extension, the word is occasionally applied to governments where a strong leader hands out appointments, advantages, etc. to friends and supporters, without much consideration for the law.
To some banana hobbyists located in the colder non-tropical growing areas, the term could also mean the warmest or most humid part of the province, country, growing area or locality[citation needed]. The coastal areas of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for example, are referred to as the Banana Republic of Canada. Bananas like Musa Basjoo, Musa Sikkimensis have been successfully grown there with only moderate protection during the winter.
[edit] Paul Keating
On 14 May 1986, the then Treasurer of Australia, Paul Keating, remarked during a radio interview with John Laws that Australia was in danger of becoming a banana republic, referring to the relative size of the foreign debt to GDP. The value of the Australian dollar dropped promptly and substantially, sending the phrase into history as one that moved billions of dollars.
[edit] FFII
In February of 2005, the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII) stated the concern that the European Union has become a banana republic in a press conference. This is mostly due to the European Council of Ministers ignoring the requests by several parliaments and member states to reopen the Council discussions on the current software patents directive, in violation of its own Rules of Procedure. [1]
[edit] Arab States
In the Arab World, "Banana Republic" or "Banana State" usually refers to the Western Maghreb Arab States, due to their lack of political support to the rest of the Arab World, as well as the influence exerted upon them by France: culturally, and sometimes politically.
The term was first used in the Arab media, and later caught on with commentators and guests on different Arabic channels, radio stations, and other media. Some Western Arabs call for an end to the use of this term, due to the political positions taken and events held by these states to help wider Arab causes, such as the Palestinians in Israel, Iraq, and Sudan.
[edit] United Kingdom
Judge Richard Mawrey in the United Kingdom quashed results of election of two local councils after it was proved that there was widespread fraud and vote-rigging during the election. He said, "Anybody who has sat through the case I have just tried and listened to evidence of electoral fraud that would disgrace a banana republic would find this statement surprising..." News Report
[edit] In literature
- San Theodoros and Nuevo Rico are fictional South American banana republics in the world of The Adventures of Tintin that display all the stereotypes one might expect of such countries. For instance, San Theodoros is constantly limping from revolution to revolution (often fueled by outside agents); and when Tintin first lands in San Theodoros, he immediately gets bestowed the rank of colonel in the army, leading to a protest of one of the many other colonels, because there are only ten corporals in the army. One of the main contenders, General Tapioca, is supported by some outside power based on Stalin's USSR; the other one, General Alcazar, is supported by the "United Banana Co.".
- Joseph Conrad's 1904 novel Nostromo is set in Costaguana, another fictional South American banana republic, which is also heavily prone to revolution. Much political power is held by a foreign mining company.
- Leslie Charteris's character The Saint uses guile and his art of disguise to overthrow a corrupt and oppressive Banana Republic in one of his stories. In it, he sometimes poses as an old man who creates and trains a rebel army of saboteurs that brings the villains to their knees. In true Saint fashion after he rescues his love interest and her father from the clutches of the dictator, the elated peasants march through the streets singing the "international song of freedom" he had taught them..."I've Got a Luverly Bunch of Coconuts".
- Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut largely takes place in a fictional banana republic, the island of San Lorenzo.
- In DC Comics, the Caribbean island nation of Santa Prisca is subject to political turmoil caused by the competition of powerful local drug lords and a violent military junta.
- Ciudad Barranquilla, the South American equivalent of the Mega-Cities in Judge Dredd, is a stereotyped banana republic. The residents of Mega-City One refer to it as "Banana City".
[edit] In Game
- The board game Junta is based on a Banana Republic.
[edit] In Film
- Most of Woody Allen's 1971 movie Bananas takes place in the fictional Republic of San Marcos, where Allen's character eventually ends up as the country's dictator.
- In the film Moon Over Parador, Richard Dreyfuss plays an American actor who is forced by Parador's head of the Secret Police (played by Raul Julia) to impersonate Parador's recently deceased dictator.
[edit] In Music
- "Banana Republics" was the title for a Jimmy Buffett song released in 1974 on the Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitude album.
- Banana Republics were mentioned in the song "Stars and Stripes of Corruption" by the Dead Kennedys
- The Boomtown Rats wrote a song called Banana Republic which criticized the Republic of Ireland. Lyrics
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Cabbages and Kings - O. Henry novel which coined the term
