We Already Went Through Our 'Banana Republic' Phase

To paraphrase Inigo Montoya, Republicans keep using the phrase, "Banana Republics," but I don't think it means what they think it means.

On Tuesday, Karl Rove argued on Fox News that accountability for Bush administration officials who broke the law would make United States "the moral equivalent of a Latin American country run by colonels in mirrored sunglasses."

Almost immediately, the right embraced the argument as their new favorite. In just the past few days, in addition to Rove, the notion of the United States becoming a "Banana Republic" has been touted by Sean Hannity, Bill Cunningham, Mark Steyn, and Glenn Beck, among others.

Yesterday, this blisteringly stupid argument reached the level of the United States Senate. Sens. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) actually repeated the Rove-inspired nonsense in public.

There are a lot of errors of fact and judgment here, but let's just address the broader point: these Republican lawmakers and officials are all using the same coordinated phrase, but they don't seem to know what a "Banana Republic" is.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of a "Banana Republic" is an unaccountable chief executive who ignores the rule of law when it suits his/her purposes. The ruling junta in a "Banana Republic" eschews accountability, commits heinous acts in secret, tolerates widespread corruption, and generally embraces a totalitarian attitude in which the leader can break laws whenever he/she feels it's justified to protect the state.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Rove, McCain, Bond, Hannity, Beck, et al are so caught up in their partisan rage, they've failed to realize they have the story backwards.

If our goal is to avoid looking like a "Banana Republic," then we would investigate those responsible for torture, which is, not incidentally, illegal. The accused would enjoy the presumption of innocence and due process rights. The process would be transparent, and those who act (and have acted) in our name would be held accountable.

It's the hallmark of a great and stable democracy: we honor the rule of law, even when it's inconvenient, and even when it meets the cries of small men with sad ideas.

Comments

[mesmerised]

A banana republic is one where people seize power and then arbitrarily imprison or kill the previous leaders. Right or wrong has nothing to do with it. Kinda sorta like when Castro did that stuff to his non supporters one he took over Cuba.

"Progressives" want to criminalize acts by the Bush administration in a scorched earth exercise that would effectively destroy ANYONE who disagrees with them. Yes, that means saying that proper actions weren't proper, and propagandizing the public so it goes along with the plan.

Obama sees this, because he's both intelligent and a savvy politician. He knows that his party agreed to enhanced interrogations after 9/11, including waterboarding. Millions of voting Americans do not agree that waterboarding is torture in the true sense of the word. Yes, it creates great discomfort, but during war it is necessary to do whatever it takes to protect innocent lives, and military personnel charged with the task of actually doing battle.

Just ask the survivors of those who died in the WTC about waterboarding. Ask those who've been spared death because waterboarding presented information that saved their lives. And don't be swayed by "progressives" who are now trying to say that waterboarding did nothing to help our intelligence or defending innocent lives. Those "progressives" are lying, and the CIA memos prove it.

"Progressives" have been sheltered and lied to, which has caused them to be blisteringly stupid.

[williamwilliam]

At some point back in high school Rove read Orwell and
and had an epiphany, and the glow has yet to fade.

Trouble is, he mistook it for a 'how to' manual.

[TXfemmom]

Banana Republics typify what we experienced during the last eight years under Bush. Throw in a little fascism which wasn't socialist, like Germany, and that explains everything.

[Stephen Bowers]

hmmm... maybe they're having a Sponge-Bob-inspired Opposites Day or maybe it's just more fear-mongering from the rabid right. they know their base will never see the irony.

[Boomerwoman]

It's amazing...they just keep stepping in it and tracking it through their own house.

[indyleftist]

We have always been a banana republic
Or at least that's what Lyndon Johnson thought when he got away with lying that the North Vietnmese attacked us and starting a war that killed 4 million people
Its what Nixon thought when he not only got off the hook for illegally bombing the people of Cambodia but also for spying on political opponents
Ford Probably thought that way when he pardoned Nixon
Reagan certainly thought that way when he was caught supporting terrorism and drug running in south america
And surprise surprise, they all still think it now when Bush lied us into a war and tortured thousands of people

[Horus45]

Actually it was Eisenhower who lied us into Vietnam.

[Liberal2]

Few actually understand how Eisenhower cut deals with the French, supporting their regaining control of Indochina, for their support in Europe.

Conservatives wanted a deal with Germany (before WWII) to stop the USSR. They found fascism closer to their philosophy than socialism...who'da thunck it???

[deepfreezevideo]

No...WRONG...moose breath!
Eisenhower AND Kennedy tried ADVISERS.
"Kennedy's policy toward South Vietnam rested on the assumption that Diem and his forces must ultimately defeat the guerrillas on their own. He was against the deployment of American combat troops and observed that "to introduce U.S. forces in large numbers there today, while it might have an initially favorable military impact, would almost certainly lead to adverse political and, in the long run, adverse military consequences."
Nothing even close to the phony August 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident and its resulting resolution, military draft and 200 thousand troop escalation happened during either Eisenhower or Kennedy, and Kennedy had laid plans to get OUT of Vietnam shortly before his murder.
Revisionism does not fly here, pal.

[twofish]

Don't forget that a banana republic is one which has had its government overthrown to install one that would give more favorable concessions to big corporations. Sounds to me like the Bush regime, installed by the Supreme Court, beholden to the banksters, oilmen and fixers like Haliburton. All that's missing is Cheney on the podium in uniform with a chest full of medals. Oh, right, he "had other priorities" than going in the military.

Though Bush was fond of giving Medals of Failur-- er, Freedom to screw-ups as a reward for obeying him, which is the sort of thing juntas do. He never gave one to Cheney though. Wonder why.

[kimleehan]

Ignores the rule of law, So Bush is a banana republican?

[Javaline]

Hmmmm....Banana rebuplican - slick and yellow on the outside, but kinda squishy when you expose the inner workings. I see a bumper sticker in the works.

[DonTampa58]

There is really nothing new here with what Rove, Bond, McCain, et al are doing here. It's classic "Rove Dirty Tricks Playbook". It works like this.

1. Find your own biggest failing.
2. Accuse your opponent of it.

It didn't work last fall in the election. It's not working now. It won't work in the future.

What scares me more than anything is the paralyzing stupidity of the right who cannot identify the basic the basic ideological differences between Socialism, Fascism, and Communism. They are three totally separate ideologies.

[rubberstamp]

the genius behind accusing your opponent of your own failings is that your opponent comes out weak and spiteful, even if they are correct.

[republicants]

It is one thing to hear this nonsense from the likes of Rush and Sean and Beck - but when McCain and Specter spout this drivel, I really fear for the future of the republican party. How far and fast they have fallen.

[Rosewren]

The Republicans love fear.

[tomasedison]

are you scared enough to vote republican again ?

[smugdug]

It really gets tiring reading about how we are always right (WE USUALLY ARE!!). What we (DEMS) need to do is find an effective way to combat the repubs talking points. It means little that they are boldface lies, the fact that they always stay on message to their base is what we need to overcome.

[jane gutowski]

It makes much more sense to keep criticizing our country and making sure every other country is aware of every flaw so they can keep taking potshots at us and worse.You give our enemies excuses and justification to hate us and between obamas opologies and Dems undermining our country it isnt helpful.

[Riani]

Speaking as someone from another country, do you think we are stu.pid? That we were not aware of the torture going on, or the corrupt practices on Wall street, or that Iraq really did not pose a clear and imminent threat to world peace, or that there was no link between Saddam and Bin Laden? You guys may be asleep on the job, but the rest of the world have been paying attention. Why do you think some of your friends were less than enthusiastic about participating in your follies? We may not always know the extent of things going on, but we know it's going on. And we are heartened when we see more and more Americans waking up to the reality, acknowledging the problem, and tackling it head-on. Do not blame the Dems for undermining your country, that was done by your previous administration!

[huffingt]

slippery

[huffingt]

Gop new name is Ba na na Re pub lic

[GoldStarMom]

Shouldn't that be Banana Republicans?

It's a good thing most American's aren't as ridiculous as the far right branch of the Republican party. If we were, the Republican side of Congress would be receiving bananas in the mail, rather than the teabags the Democratic side has been getting.

[huffingt]

The Rethugs are calling themselves Banana Republic - that is their new name- so it should be ok.

[jukesgrrl]

Excellent post, Mr. Benen. You make an important point, as do those who note that Rove's loudest arguments are usually based on transference.