Banana Republic

[Goosemaster]

The Banana Republic store....

Why is it named as such? Don't they know what it actually refers to?

I leave you now.

 

[cmv]

Because it creates a vivid picture of an exotic equatorial location rife with banana boats and British explorers wearing rough exploring gear.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: cmv
Because it creates a vivid picture of an exotic equatorial location rife with banana boats and British explorers wearing rough exploring gear.

..and makes us forget about the atrocities...yeah!

 

[Kishan]

Originally posted by: cmv
Because it creates a vivid picture of an exotic equatorial location rife with banana boats and British explorers wearing rough exploring gear.

close enough. But what the fvck do Gap/Old Navy/Club Monaco mean then?

 

[bobbybe01]

Why the fvck do we ask dumb questions. Actually, there's no such thing as a dumb question, just dumb people that ask questions. Why do we have Taco Bell? Burger King? Del Taco? Who the fck knows...

 

[Goosemaster]

Link

Banana republic (or Bananaland) is a pejorative term for describing a country with a non-democratic or unstable government, especially where there is widespread political corruption and strong foreign influence. It is most often applied to small countries in Central America or the Caribbean.



Origin

The original 'banana republic' was Honduras, where 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. For example, in 1910 the company hired a gang of armed thugs from New Orleans to install a new president when the incumbent failed to grant the company tax breaks. The newly installed Honduran president waived the company's taxes for the next 25 years. The company's dominance in Honduras, as well as other Central American countries like Guatemala, led Pablo Neruda, to write a poem titled "La United Fruit Co." in Spanish.


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 well be more political (for example through corruption in the elite, or military support for a dictator) than economic dominance of key sectors. The term no longer implies that the foreign influence is a corporation; it could well be a foreign government, in which case the relationship can resemble a colonial one.

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.


Paul Keating

In 1986, the then Treasurer of Australia, Paul Keating, remarked during a radio interview with John Laws that Australia is in danger of becoming a banana republic, referring to the relative size of the foreign debt to GDP. This statement itself, according to the economic statistics over the next year, caused a significant effect on the Australian economy.


In literature

San Theodoros and Nuevo Rico are fictional South American banana republics in the world 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 Silver mining company.

 

[bradruth]

It's named after its owners/operators....



The socialist carribean regime known as the Banana Republic.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: bradruth
It's named after its owners/operators....



The socialist carribean regime known as the Banana Republic.

oh.

 

[cmv]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: cmv
Because it creates a vivid picture of an exotic equatorial location rife with banana boats and British explorers wearing rough exploring gear.

..and makes us forget about the atrocities...yeah!

Well, yeah. What other answer would you expect?

edit: except perhaps the truth above (don't know if that is true personally but sounds semi-legit)

 

[cmv]

Originally posted by: KPSHAH316

Originally posted by: cmv
Because it creates a vivid picture of an exotic equatorial location rife with banana boats and British explorers wearing rough exploring gear.

close enough. But what the fvck do Gap/Old Navy/Club Monaco mean then?

In that list, I wonder WTF those names mean in the order you listed. Gap? WTF?!? Old Navy?!? Jeeze... Club Monaco? Well that is semi-reasonable.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: cmv

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: cmv
Because it creates a vivid picture of an exotic equatorial location rife with banana boats and British explorers wearing rough exploring gear.

..and makes us forget about the atrocities...yeah!

Well, yeah. What other answer would you expect?

I don't know frankly. I Just find it, well, strange that a store selling clothes decided to name itself after something so visciously evil and no one cares.... Appearantly it is named for something else as someone mentioend, but still.

 

[b0mbrman]

Paul Keating

In 1986, the then Treasurer of Australia, Paul Keating, remarked during a radio interview with John Laws that Australia is in danger of becoming a banana republic, referring to the relative size of the foreign debt to GDP. This statement itself, according to the economic statistics over the next year, caused a significant effect on the Australian economy.

Yeah, that's logically sound :roll: