# Is the US becoming a banana republic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 10, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976 "2013-12-10T14:29:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![Riga\_Marole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riga_marole/32/7316_2.png) [@Riga\_Marole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riga_Marole)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/361 "2013-12-30T14:45:17Z")
> [@Riga\_Marole](#): > > There is no one definition of a Banana Republic. > [@XT](#): > > As has been pointed out several times, there are definitions of what a banana republic actually is. … So you agree. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/362 "2013-12-30T14:49:21Z")
> [@Riga\_Marole](#): > > You don’t think the U.S. population is nearer to upheaval lately? Bush’s WMD hoax, the invasion of Irak, the lie of proof, the cover-ups, the question of Obama’s birth and his popularity, the economic crash, the Wall Street uprising? It doesn’t seem (oooops!) that a coup or revolution à la 1960’s is possible? It was not possible **then.** ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/363 "2013-12-30T14:51:00Z")
> [@Riga\_Marole](#): > > So you agree. Um, no…you seem to be making the case that there is no agreed upon definitions of banana republic, so that you can then basically make up your own. That’s simply not true. There are, of course, multiple agreed upon definitions (several have been cited in this thread so far), but because there are multiple definitions does not give you (or the others doing similar things in this thread) a free hand in torturing those definitions, twisting them or simply making up your own. Regardless, you didn’t answer the question I actually asked you, instead continuing the digression. Can you define some countries that followed similar trajectories to the US during the '60s and mid-2000’s who are banana republics? If you can’t, that’s fine…you could just admit you are playing with the definition in order to make it conform to the answer you already pre-selected, namely that the US is a banana republic and you are just groping for anything you can use as a proof to make it so. ETA: Oh, I see this poster has now been BANNED. So, I guess I won’t hold my breath for a reply. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/364 "2013-12-30T15:01:58Z")
What a shame… ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/365 "2013-12-30T21:06:43Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Well, it’s not like you brought much to the argument fact-wise. Sorry you had to flame-out like this, but to tell the truth I always have my doubts about newbies who, 3 days into their membership, [understand the report post function better than I do](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16960489&postcount=257). Not to mention those who average 28 posts a day. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/366 "2013-12-31T13:55:28Z")
His flame burned bright, but not long, and when it ended, it ended in silence. Like lighting a fart. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/367 "2013-12-31T13:57:36Z")
OK, that’s enough. I’ll leave this open as there remains a remote possibility of a real debate. But let’s not spend a lot of thought-power making fun of the banned guy. There’s no point to it. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/368 "2014-01-02T19:55:42Z")
I will put forth the emancipation of pot today in Colorado as further proof that we as a society are slowly becoming more free and liberal despite some steps back. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/369 "2014-01-02T20:01:41Z")
It was yesterday, but if you’re a citizen of CO, we understand… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/370 "2014-01-02T22:43:40Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > I will put forth the emancipation of pot today in Colorado as further proof that we as a society are slowly becoming more free and liberal despite some steps back. Oh, the oligarchs are allowing the peasants to use an incredibly mild euphoric, truly we are a free society now! ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/371 "2014-01-02T23:52:06Z")
We’re freer than we were a few days ago, no? ---
**Author:** ![NiceGuyJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/niceguyjack/32/3069_2.png) [@NiceGuyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NiceGuyJack)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2017, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/372 "2017-12-12T06:27:41Z")
[ALABAMA HAS THE WORST POVERTY IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD, U.N. OFFICIAL SAYS](http://www.newsweek.com/alabama-un-poverty-environmental-racism-743601) Maybe not a Banana Republic, but it’s starting to look 3rd world. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/373 "2017-12-13T18:44:01Z")
> [@NiceGuyJack](#): > > [ALABAMA HAS THE WORST POVERTY IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD, U.N. OFFICIAL SAYS](http://www.newsweek.com/alabama-un-poverty-environmental-racism-743601) > > Maybe not a Banana Republic, but it’s starting to look 3rd world. Starting? ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/374 "2017-12-14T16:32:17Z")
This is a zombie thread, and the original article cited doesn’t seem to be posted any more. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/375 "2017-12-14T19:07:14Z")
The latest link works for me. It’s a NYU professor touring the US looking for poverty, which he defines as > [@](#): > > the percentage of people earning less than half the national median income which is an interesting way of putting it. It’s an opinion piece against the latest tax bill. How it shows that the US is becoming a banana republic is not clear. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2020, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/376 "2020-01-11T18:16:58Z")
Mea culpa. Dataguy, you were right. Congratulations, I think. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2020, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/377 "2020-01-11T21:08:02Z")
So, gentle reader from the year 2013, please, sit. Don’t read this standing, OK? The reason for my change is simple: On Twitter, the #1 communication platform of the connected and intelligentsia, Independent (formerly Republican) Congressman Justin Amash (MI) said this about impeached President Donald Trump: > [@](#): > > He sells troops. > > “We have a very good relationship with Saudi Arabia—I said, listen, you’re a very rich country. You want more troops? I’m going to send them to you, but you’ve got to pay us. They’re paying us. They’ve already deposited $1B in the bank.” [https://t.co/rc1f7heyCP](https://t.co/rc1f7heyCP) Ok, I get it. There’s a lot of questions. “Twitter? Selling troops? President Trump? Justin Amash, an independent? What ‘bank’? Doesn’t that sound like an extortion attempt? Wait… ‘impeached’? Why is he still President?” Yeah, like I said, a lot to process. Let’s just say that Riga Morale and Dataguy may have been wrong in their specifics, but they were right as to the political and moral turn this country was taking, while I… I was the exact opposite. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2020, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/378 "2020-01-13T15:30:35Z")
Don’t be silly. Banana republics _buy_ troops. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/379 "2020-01-13T16:20:03Z")
Damn. Got me. Never mind, reader from 2013, the US is doing just fine! ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976/380 "2020-01-17T17:49:56Z")
Let’s see if I can remember how it was described when I was in school a very long time ago: A Banana Republic is a country with great economic disparity that is ruled by families whose primary interest is their personnel wealth and perpetuating their time in office. The economy and political system of a Banana Republic is funded by US corporations in exchange for no regulation, low taxes and cheap labor. The leadership of such countries is characterized as ignorant, pompous and removed from reality. Well gee…I’d say we are working on it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-becoming-a-banana-republic/675976.md?page=20)