A Real Banana Republic....!

[Rico]

The following is a short clip from the Associated Press...



WASHINGTON (AP) -- Banana company Chiquita Brands International admitted in federal court Monday that for years it paid Colombian terrorists to protect its most profitable banana-growing operation.

The company pleaded guilty to one count of doing business with a terrorist organization. The plea is part of a deal with prosecutors that calls for a $25 million fine and does not identity the several senior executives who approved the illegal protection payments.


This article got me to thinking...

1.Are Bananas a crop that makes more money than Cocaine...?


2.If a company like Chiquita will pay terrorist to guard their cash crop....


Do you suppose a major oil company would be willing to pay for it's lines not to be blown up..?

This whole thing reminds me of the parking lot attendants  along the Sunset Strip...

They always hit you with ...
"Watch your car for $5.."

translation....
"I won't mess with your ride if you pay up...!
[}:)]

Maybe that's the answer in Iraq.... We pay them to behave..?

[sgrizzle]

I think many would be surprised to find out this is really fairly common when dealing with smaller countries. Some of these organizations make money by holding air cargo hostage on a regular basis. They then charge a ransom that is lower than the replacement cost of the cargo. Businesses regularly pay to get their cargo back. Some terrorists/hijackers/pirates just charge a "protection fee" to not hijack it. Often times enough local officials are on the payroll to keep them from being any help.

[shadows]

[Maybe that's the answer in Iraq.... We pay them to behave..?]

Who will we pay?  It is a good idea but  thousands of years of terrorism is now reduced to billions of dollars and thousands of American lives. The plans already made is for fifty thousand troop to remain to keep the peace after we establish it.  

What price should we offer?  

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by shadows

[Maybe that's the answer in Iraq.... We pay them to behave..?]

Who will we pay?  It is a good idea but  thousands of years of terrorism is now reduced to billions of dollars and thousands of American lives. The plans already made is for fifty thousand troop to remain to keep the peace after we establish it.  

What price should we offer?  

I thought that was the old plan.

[Conan71]

Apparently Hillary and Obama have conceeded that will be the case.

[mr.jaynes]

Being as I'm a fan of vintage theatrical cartoons, here's some gems from the 1940's, animated commercial for Chiquita, a successor of the notorious United Fruit Company, and just as exploitive.

http://www.archive.org/details/bananarama

[cannon_fodder]

Excellent Banana lady.

In many countries it is par for the course to pay corruption fees.  To the government directly, individuals, or mobs.  In many countries (France for example) it is a tax deductible cost of doing business. While it is illegal for US companies to do so, I'm sure it is common practice.

It may have brought profits to Chiquita, but it certainly didnt help the long term prospects of Columbia.  Nor would it benefit Iraq.  Millions on defense, not a penny in tribute.

[Conan71]

Seems you lose your head when you don't pay the Columbian thugs:

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Excellent Banana lady.

May be old-school, but the toons of that era had class, style and heart.

[Wilbur]

The US government already protects the interests of Dole and Chiquita by limiting, or should I say, not allowing, the importing of bananas from other Caribbean countries.  And much to the dislike of those Caribbean countries who produce a lot of bananas.

If you've even been to a country that produces bananas other then for Dole and/or Chiquita, you would know how dull the bananas we have here in the US.  Go to someplace like Saint Lucia and you'll eat more bananas then you ever thought you could.

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Excellent Banana lady.

In many countries it is par for the course to pay corruption fees.  To the government directly, individuals, or mobs.  In many countries (France for example) it is a tax deductible cost of doing business. While it is illegal for US companies to do so, I'm sure it is common practice.

It may have brought profits to Chiquita, but it certainly didnt help the long term prospects of Columbia.  Nor would it benefit Iraq.  Millions on defense, not a penny in tribute.

Perhaps it's just a little bit of overdue karma for some of these companies.

Give this a read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Fruit_Company

http://eatthestate.org/03-26/UnitedFruitCIA.htm

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/American_Empire/Eisenhower_Guatemala_LFE.html

http://www.mayaparadise.com/ufc1e.htm

http://www.geocities.com/~virtualtruth/chiquita.htm