POLI 319 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Monroe Doctrine, Truman Doctrine, United Fruit Company
13 May 2018
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POLI319: Wednesday Feb. 14th, 2018
US Hegemony and Predatory States
From Banana Republics to Operation Condor
I. US Dimension
a. The US was heavily involved in the region even before the Cold War
b. 1823 Monroe Doctrine: US would seek to defeat, replace European powers’
influence in the Western Hemisphere
i. Timed with the independence now of many countries. Spain
ii. US was emerging as a major regional power
iii. Would become the new Western power by military needs if necessary
c. 1893 Manifest Destiny Credo: US consolidated its regional economic control
i. Consolidated its control over territory in North America
ii. By the end of 19th century the US was firmly in a position to project its
power
iii. Also by this point they had defeated all their indigenous rebellions in the
state
iv. Took Guam and the Philippines
v. America’s god given right to expand. The notion that the US was fulfilling
its destiny of white vis a vis indigenous populations certainly within the
continental United States and also throughout the world
vi. Potential to project strategic and military power
II. Banana Republic Era
a. A country which is run by a dictator or authoritarian ruler where their economy is
based on one single crop
b. They key crop was Bananas
c. United Fruit Corporation, other multinationals, used their power and influence to
buy and sell governments
i. For labor terms that would benefit the corporations and not workers
d. US invasions and occupations in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Haiti, Dominican
Republic
i. For when the governments would protest
ii. On the basis of fighting unrest
e. Liberalization of Markets
i. The main objective of US invasion
III. Cold War
a. National Security Doctrine: nations were at war with an internal enemy as
opposed to an external one
i. First emerged during Harry Truman
ii. Fighting communism wherever it arose
iii. Didn’t mean only fighting Soviet Influence or representatives of the
Soviets but what it meant was fighting against homegrown movements
that may subscribe to a communist or socialist ideology
b. 1950s, early 1960s, US supplied economic and military aid; after JFK, US aid
becomes more militarized
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Document Summary
The notion that the us was fulfilling its destiny of white vis a vis indigenous populations certainly within the continental united states and also throughout the world: potential to project strategic and military power. Republic: for when the governments would protest, on the basis of fighting unrest, liberalization of markets, the main objective of us invasion. Aggression: doctrine was established for intervention in the third world, especially latin. 1954 coup vs. arbenz in guatemala: eisenhower administration"s operation success , arbenz wanted to bring in land reform. Domino effect: across the region, one country after another fell to military dictatorship, the military leadership considered itself to ne the most qualified institution. Chilean dissident orlando letelier: killed in washington dc, 1976, killed in a car bomb right next to the capital, the cia knew about the car bomb. Manuel contreras, chief of chile"s dina: the us cia.
