USA: Banana Republic?

[Renzi]

Argentina had Los Montoneros, Colombia had the FARC and AUP, Peru had the SL, and Michigan has the Wolverine Watchmen (at least the name is more creative than the others, a mashup of two comic book series). Who would have thought the USA would be the new epicenter of paramilitaries that storm goverment buildings and commit or attempt high profile kidnappings and assasinations?

The ‘Wolverine Watchmen’ Accused of Targeting Michigan Guv Spooked Their Neighbors

Social posts and testimony from neighbors of the men who allegedly plotted against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer point to a disturbing relationship with the far-right.

www.thedailybeast.com

 

[sts7049]

a group of 7 people, in a country of how many millions? and that qualifies as banana republic?

 

[Greg S]

"Banana Republic" overstates it a bit. But I spent the US summer in various large US cities (in CDMX now, waiting to return to BA), and the divisions there by race, income, region and politics haven't been this pronounced since the 1960s.

The media (my past career) and polls tend to distort and magnify these divides. But they are real and growing.

Interesting search:

https://www.google.com/search?q=poll+violence+election

 

[Renzi]

a group of 7 people, in a country of how many millions? and that qualifies as banana republic?

It's not just the numbers, it's that this sort of phenomemon is happening there in the first place, and even worse, has slowly become normalized. According to the NYT, membership of these militias is somewhere between 15-20K active members throughout the US.

 

[FallenAngel]

The US is a banana republic but not for the reason you think. The governor has been found making a lot of unconstitutional edicts. This is what makes the US a banana republic. The Wolverine Watchman's attempt to reign in this new king is what would have brought order where chaos existed prior.

If Argentina had a group, any group, that reigned in the power of the corrupt state, then it too would no longer be a banana republic.

 

[camberiu]

It's not just the numbers, it's that this sort of phenomemon is happening there in the first place, and even worse, has slowly become normalized. According to the NYT, membership of these militias is somewhere between 15-20K active members throughout the US.

And it has been 15-20K active members since....a few generations? This is nothing new. Fringe groups have been part of the US society for a very long time.
This is a trailer for a 1988 movie about an FBI agent infiltrating the militia.

Michael Moore did a show about the Militia back in 2001.

 

[FallenAngel]

a group of 7 people, in a country of how many millions? and that qualifies as banana republic?

I would say BLM and their riots are bigger indicators of a banana republic. Complete disregard for social order and laws. Lack or selective enforcement of laws. This seems more traits associated with a banana republic. So looking at it from that perspective it is far more participants than 7. At least thousands maybe tens of tens of thousands.

 

[camberiu]

I would say BLM and their riots are bigger indicators of a banana republic.

I would say police violence is the bigger indication of a Banana Republic. Some major banana republic examples bellow:

 

[Greg S]

Why I left the USA. One of the many reasons. It will never recover.

Looting & Civil Unrest Videos | Chicago Police Department

home.chicagopolice.org

 

[Redpossum]

Otto von Bismarck called it very bluntly 160 years ago- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_and_Iron_(speech)

"Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided...but by iron and blood (Eisen und Blut).”