Banana republic

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Banana Republic is a pejorative term for a country that is politically unstable, dependent on limited agriculture (e.g. bananas), and ruled by a small, self-elected, wealthy, and corrupt clique.^[1] It is most commonly used for countries in Central America and Africa such as El Salvador, Belize, Grenada, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Ethiopia and South Africa. In some cases, these nations have kept the government structures that were modeled after the colonial Spanish ruling clique, with a small, largely leisure class on the top, and a large, poorly educated and poorly paid working class of peons, though it might have the (fake) trappings of modernity (such as styling itself a republic with a president etc.)

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—a banana republic also typically has large wealth inequities, poor infrastructure, poor schools, a "backward" economy, low capital spending, a reliance on foreign capital and money printing, budget deficits, and a weakening currency. Banana republics are typically also highly prone to revolutions and coups.

Contents 1 Background 2 Modern usage 2.1 Australia 2.2 Italy 2.3 South Africa 2.4 United Kingdom 2.5 European Union 2.6 United States of America 3 References 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Background

The term was originally invented as a very direct reference to a "servile dictatorship" which abetted (or directly supported in return for kickbacks) the exploitation of large-scale plantation agriculture (usually banana).^[1] The term was coined by the American author O. Henry in his 1904 book of linked short stories, "Cabbages and Kings", set in the fictional "Anchuria", which was based on his 1896-97 stay in Honduras.

It was in Honduras that the United Fruit, the Standard Fruit, and Sam Zemurray's Cuyamel Fruit companies dominated the country's key banana export sector and support sectors such as railways. The United Fruit Company was nicknamed "The Octopus" (El Pulpo) for its willingness to involve itself in politics, sometimes violently. In 1910, Zemurray hired a gang of armed thugs including Lee Christmas from New Orleans to stage a coup in Honduras to obtain beneficial treatment from the new government. Zemurray would 22 years later take over United Fruit in a hostile bid.

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).^[1] 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. By extension, the word is occasionally applied to governments where a strong leader hands out appointments and advantages to friends and supporters, without much consideration for the law. A banana republic can also be used to describe a country where a large part of its economy and politics are controlled by foreign powers or even corporations, e.g. Myanmar.

Some Central American countries, like Belize, that export bananas to a specific client or set of clients as part of a continual agreement or previously agreed price are not banana republics in the way the phrase is defined above.

[edit] Australia

On 14 May 1986, the then Treasurer of Australia, Paul Keating, remarked during a radio interview with John Laws that Australia risked becoming a banana republic, referring to the size of the foreign debt relative to GDP. The Australian dollar immediately dropped 3 US cents ^[2].

[edit] Italy

The Italian businessman Gianni Agnelli (now deceased) said in April 2001: "We are not a banana republic!"^[3] criticizing the representation of Italian voters and political system given by part of foreign press while reporting the decision of Silvio Berlusconi to run for the second time for Prime Minister. Italy is frequently addressed as a Banana Republic because of its enormous public debt and because of the widespread corruption affecting public powers.

[edit] South Africa

On 28 January 2009, the Inkatha Freedom Party suggested that South Africa could well be heading towards banana republic status should Muzi Mkhize be appointed to replace former National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli.^[4] Mkhize is a member of Jacob Zuma's legal team. Zuma is facing multiple charges of corruption. Then on 3 March 2009, in a speech to the South African Press Association, Bantu Holomisa (of opposition party United Democratic Movement) warned that the ruling African National Congress is allowing South Africa to become a banana republic by "rushing laws through Parliament, undermining democratic institutions and releasing criminals convicted of serious crimes simply because they are aligned to the ruling clique."^[5] ANC breakaway party, COPE (Congress of the People)http://www.congressofthepeople.org.za/ said recently that dropping the charges against Zuma would add weight to perceptions that South Africa is becoming a "banana republic" The charges were dropped on Monday 6th April 2009.^[6]

[edit] United Kingdom

In 2005, Judge Richard Mawrey in the United Kingdom quashed the election results of two local councils after it was proved that there was widespread fraud and vote-rigging during the election. In response to the administration's assertion that the Postal Voting system was functioning properly 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".^[7]

In September 2007, CBI President Richard Lambert slammed the government and City authorities, blaming them for the Northern Rock crisis, claiming the run on the bank was "something that happens in a banana republic".

[edit] European Union

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.^[8]

[edit] United States of America

In April 2009, Missouri Republican US Senator Kit Bond likened Barack Obama's administration to a banana republic if they proceed to hold public trials on the issue of torture, giving the term banana republic a bimodal definition in the context of the ongoing US torture investigations. ^[9]

In May of 2009, Paul Krugman, columnist for the New York Times, referred to the state government of California as a banana republic. He was commenting on the state's tax system, in which taxes cannot be raised even in an emergency without a two-thirds majority. Even as the state is unable to borrow or meet its debts, this legal code makes it impossible to raise taxes and encourages the government to reduce expenditures (ie: cut costs). This code has been supported in sentiment by a public vote.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Absurdistan
• Kangaroo court

[edit] External links

• Cabbages and Kings - O. Henry novel which coined the term
• Starting your own Banana Republic