How the US Stole Central America (With Bananas)
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- Опубліковано 20 тра 2024
- How the US used Bananas to Conquer Central America
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I will never be able to look at bananas the same way again. The history behind this fruit is filled with government coups, propaganda, and predatory corporations.
This is the story of how US imperialism gave us crappy bananas - and why the ones in your kitchen might be doomed.
Read more in a great book by Dan Koeppel: “Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World" bookshop.org/books/banana-the....
Big thanks to Mark Whalen for his research on the topic.
Thanks to / centralamericandisruption who covers the ramifications of this history.
And thank you to Anderson’s Tropical Fruit Farm in Florida for shipping us the Gros Michel Bananas!
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Johnny Harris is a filmmaker and journalist. He currently is based in Washington, DC, reporting on interesting trends and stories domestically and around the globe. Johnny's visual style blends motion graphics with cinematic videography to create content that explains complex issues in relatable ways. He holds a BA in international relations from Brigham Young University and an MA in international peace and conflict resolution from American University.
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Would love to see a video like this about coffee!
Chocolate. Way worse.
Chocolate is way worse indeed, but why not start entire new series about these topics 😄
To add a few: tea leaves from China, Vegetable Oil lies, sugar
You can have a video like this one on anything you buy at the mall, at the gas station... We endorse the criminal behavior of oligarchs through our consumerism....
Just thought about this as soon as the video went up! Great minds think alike bwehehe
@@lightdragon5821 REE mining as well
As a Guatemalan, this is probably one of the saddest moments in our history, we were finally becoming a democracy, well ahead of other latin countries, 2 democratic presidents elected in a row, improving infraestructure, and a Banana Company destroyed it all in a couple of months, we only got a democraticly elected president in 1986
!! so few americans know what horrible things the country does other places
We got the worst version of democracy since 1986. And here we are now, getting worst and worst, election by election.
@@ellarobinson3967 and the people who knows are not open to do something about it. They just ignores that
@@FranciscoPerez_97 America benefits from it, Guatemalan people should be more Westernized
@Coolsville poor logic. It's like you're blaming the victim to be willingly tortured by the bad guy. And even though the president wanted to do something about it, they just cannot, because the power of this banana company was incomparable. It's either taking sides or die in this situation. Have some emphaty please.
As a Guatemalan citicen, I have to say that you have explained this part of my culture in a very incredible way. It is very sad to think that Guatemalan workers still have to suffer through the consecuences of this horrible banana importation. You dont have to searche for long to finde an indegenous person struggeling to survive because of this. You have done an amazing job of explaining this topic. Make sure to enjoy your Gros Michel banana.
As a Honduran (THE banana Republic), I thank that some people like you open English-speaking peoples' eyes about such a terrible issue many today ignore. There's a book from Honduran author Ramón Amaya Amador called "Prisión Verde". He describes this issue perfectly.
PD: The absolute worst part of the issue is that the US, up to this point, has done NOTHING to pay us. The Rosario Mining Company near Tegucigalpa also exploited our gold and silver reserves, representing centuries of development lost. The godamn giant hasn't repayed us for it. Typical US.
Thanks for book recommendation paisano! Ahora entiendo porque le dicen pulperias lol
question is - has Honduras asked the US to pay? Most probably they didn't. Why would they suddenly pay when throughout their whole existence they cared only about making more money?
@@dariacorreia987 Some did. And literally. About two liberal presidents tried to tax the United fruit. Both were overthrown. After that, congress members have submitted initiatives to tax them on the occupation of honduran military bases, but such submissions don't go far.
Hopefully, the new alliance with China pressures tha americans to at least invest more on the country, to keep it from chinese influence.
Thanks for the book recommendation, I'll read it. Side Note though; The Hondurans were in debt to European banks before the American Capitalists moved in. So the choice is European Colonialist, Emerging Communists or American Capitalists. It seems the American Capitalism probably the right choice. No doubt the American Capitalists left some scars but so did the Europeans and Communists. Only Americans acknowledge and discuss their ugly history. I am not trying to be insulting I am actually very fond of Honduras and want good things for the country. Cheers!
@@king_vasuki2692May i ask which country you’re from?
As a colombian, I'm glad that you're using this platform to bring the bananas massacre into light (I feel like this sounds like a white savior thing but honestly I'm glad). It has been such a big issue here, because the goverment doesn't acknolowge it, to this day there are still people in power who dare to say that it never happened, completely stepping over the hundreds of lost lives. So yeah, you did a great research and I'm grateful for this video.
Hundred percent. As a Colombian, from the Santa Marta, I didn’t even know. I had no idea.
@@femmeoftech i recommend reading cien años de soledad, Gabo describes not only the massacre but also the creation of the guerrillas in a very simple way. That book is a f masterpiece, the ending is awesome.
I never even knew any of this happened! It's horrifying...
Why is that white savior thing a bad thing? Maybe I misunderstand it but to me it sounds like a way to victimize people and separate us into them VS us, and clearly when it would apply, people who are from the victim population like you, will prefer that it is being said than if it was not.
I think that white savior thing comes from the same kind of psychology that the guy named in this video, Freud's nephew, used.
It's elite giving us ways to fight amongst each other, hoping we will.
Wow I never knew about this topic! I'm kinda history & geography loving guy but never knew about this particular topic! I know about the sugarcane plantation exploitation but not this one that Johnny mentioned.
It's so disturbing and saddening to know all these horrific things. Surely history is interesting but sometimes it comes with it's own disadvantage. It's so heart-wrenching to know all these!
My understanding of this world is that people especially those having powers always put their greed before anything and never of true character or values. Just cunning selfish pricks who will go to any sort of deceit to fulfill their own greeds.
The combination of government, environment, business, and cultural perspectives put into Johnny's videos are insane. So many different angles thrown at it. Love it.
ok
The Big Pharma cartel is exactly like this
They were a Nazi chemical warfare company who funded hitler and made Zyklon B. The exact same Nazis who orchestrated genocide became CEO and board members, renamed IG Farben to Bayer Corp, and began controlling our healthcare and our food
Bill Gates/Monsanto/Bayer are the modern day dictator Nazis. Every one of those execs have authorized genocide and slavery that continues to this day
"THEY!"
Nah bruh.. say, "Us". it was your government.
@@rajadhirajmaharaj No. People in America don't "choose" their government and it is not a reflection of 130 million people
We have a single vote once every 4 years
The people leading this country are individuals and are "they" do both people living in other countries and in the US
"they" are a small group of people that have created so much misery and need to take responsibility
@@rajadhirajmaharaj He does seem to obfuscate responsibility.
Bro you are literally one of the very few journalist in the world that speaks facts! No one is perfect but I think is fair to also accept responsibility for our actions. And I think that’s the biggest problem, most governments/companies will never accept they ever did anything wrong.
I lived in Guatemala for two years when I was 19. I heard many of these sad stories first hand. Especially from the area of Esquintla
My mom was born in a United Fruit company port “town” in Panama. My family was one of the higher ups who were given a whole mansion and wild benefits like ice skating and bowling and movie theaters in the middle if nowhere panama. They actually blame the unions for ruining something they considered idyllic, not caring that the whole thing was basically built on the blood of locals. They brag about having servants, knowing they weren’t being paid with money. The town is a ghost town now but most structures are still there so you can see the mansions of the higher ups in the company and the shacks where their unpaid servants lived. Thanks so much for this video! I’d always wondered how this was even allowed to exist in the first place. I’m not close to my fam obviously 🤣 they never grew out of the chiquita fruit company mindset.
damm, thats tough
Yo we’re going to need a story time 😳
Thank you for having a conscious. I will never understand that level of greed
incredible. you need to share your story!
Disgusting caste system reapers, you seem different at least.
The more I learn about American history, the more shocked I am on how hypocritical America is. And how shameless they are in trying to frame and shame other countries to once again exploit others.
That's how western imperialism works. From Spain, France, UK to the United States, their essence has never changed, only methods have changed. To improve it to make it more efficient, more profitable and...looks more "decent", in the name of "democracy".
That's what governments do. To govern is to control. Too bad it's the insane who want to control other people. Think about war. A tiny group of (insane) people tell huge groups of people to do horrible things to each other. I recommend "The Man I Killed" by Thomas Hardy.
@mistyfuture western? You mean globally. There’s no country on this planet that is innocent on conquering and killing. Forgot about Japan? Or China? European countries did far worst when they were in power.
@@mistyfuture4925 Yeah but a small catch here, those other countries did it 500 YEARS AGO, and the US is still doing this shit today. Also, you realize that is exactly the hypocritical attitude he is saying right? "Oh other countries did it, who cares if the US does it bla bla"
!!!
Despite having spent *countless* hours on this platform, I do not always feel as though I wasted my time here. Although that does admittedly still occur at times, it occurs infinitely less often than with other similar "social media" apps.
It is informative content like this manifested by exceptionally talented creators who strive for quality in their works that truly make this platform great. Thank you for this beautiful video!
😊😅😅😊😅😅0
I appreciate your honest journalism….The 🌎 needs more of you✌️
"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism ... I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street ... I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903." -- General Smedley Butler
Bananas are a footnote in American imperialism.
It's rare a general, or someone who performed those horrible actions doesnt let it taint their morals to still consider themselves just
@@ellarobinson3967 To be a career military person was to be a joke in 19th century America. That changed in the next century.
@@JK-gu3tl a joke? Explain. Maybe post civil war and before the Spanish american war. But even then, they were busy committing ethnic cleansing in the american west, like custer.
Smedley Butler stopped American businessmen from overthrowing the US government and creating a dictatorship back in his own day. He's one of history's forgotten heroes.
@@pahwraith Think about it: It's one thing to be milita person defending one's community, it's another to a full timer on the tax dole. It wasn't long ago when folks snowballed redcoats.
Damn, this dude dropping crazy quality content non stop, props to you man, doing what you love and enjoying life, keep doing what you doing, the support will only rise ✌🏻
Here's what we can do for schools everywhere.
In 6th grade everywhere:
Have a banana day (a Wednesday) where everyone in school will theme itself over a banana, suggest that on that Wednesday to eat banana with their cereal's, or bring a banana to lunch.
The day after (Thursday) all teachers from math to english, to history to p.e. to science etc
... Will simultaneously play this video in their projector as the first subject AFTER LUNCH.
And let's see how this plays out in the whole world.
Open up the eyes of the new generation to a forgotten atrocities of *LATE STAGE CAPITALISM.*
@@abramrexjoaquin7513 we could also just teach kids the modern colonialism of the uss and how its caused most of the problems in south/central america (as well as the middle east) today. just look at chile being used as an experiment for free market capitalism.
@@abramrexjoaquin7513 there are better ways of teaching kids
I agree ... Johnny has done a SUPER job on this one! It explains a LOT. Now the World makes a little bit more sense.
Oooow ... it seems that this feed has been infected with a nasty little (nudesnapgirl) virus! Most likely, the evil banana cartel is spreading it.
This is history my schools never taught me. Thanks for bringing it into the light!
I’ve always questioned this about the Banana Republic clothing stores, like “that’s a very very bad thing, do they want us to know they are exploiting child labor in the countries they make their clothes??”😂
And then you walk down the mall
Being a native South East Asian, I can tell you that Cavendish taste like shit when compared to others, naturally grown, bananas. Here in Indonesia, we have a lot of varieties of bananas for different purposes. Ambon, Susu (Milk), Kepok, Raja (King), etc. These bananas are cooked and eaten in a various ways. Some bananas are good to be fried, some are steamed, some are for cake mix, etc.
Using 1 type of banana for all purposes is a bad idea for both the humans that are consuming and the ecology.
Malaysian here and yes! I hate bananas for a passion and only eat them when it comes in other forms like deserts or fried because i don’t like the texture of it but i can eat the raja a few pieces no problem
I don't know species, but here in India there are many types of bananas and we even make Currys of some raw ones, in addition to the cooking types you mentioned
To be fried you mean.
Isn’t the Ambon a regional name for the Gros Michel?
@@johnkeefer8760Yeah if i understand it correctly, ‘Pisang ambon’ itself used to refer to a group of variety of similar banana, natural hybrid in the wild, gros michel is a type of pisang ambon, more specifically ‘pisang ambon kuning’ which is very susceptible to fusarium.
As a Central American I loved this video, almost made me cry. Nicaragua has a sad and moving story involving the U.S too, I believe it's worthy of it's own video.
He should just do a month of Central America centric videos. There's so much history that got swept under the rug
I guess not many American nowadays sit back and ask why and how they enjoy their current quality of life. They probably thinks it is all their own hard work!
Just found your channel, very much looking forward to watching your other videos. I really love how well put together they are and the way that you explain things is really easy to follow. And also I love your breakfast videos because American breakfast is gross. This is great work that you're doing 💜
As a Guatemalan I'm more than glad that you are spotlighting these historical events that scarred my country and even today we are still living some of it's consequences. Spreading this type of content is a must. Thank you for putting so much time an effort in your videos.
The workers of the banana plantations in Colombia went on strike on November 12, 1928. The workers made nine demands from the United Fruit Company:
Stop their practice of hiring through sub-contractors
Mandatory collective insurance
Compensation for work accidents
Hygienic dormitories and 6 day work weeks
Increase in daily pay for workers who earned less than 100 pesos per month
Weekly wage
Abolition of office stores
Abolition of payment through coupons rather than money
Improvement of hospital services
What is the political and economical state of your country today in your opinion?
@@gnarlin4964 Like most of the former European colonies Guatemala is still a developing country, our economy is mainly agriculture dependant, plus a huge help from Guatemalan fellows in the USA taking those jobs nobody else wants to. In politics elites keep in power because the whole country is their farm, and it's a profitable one so no need to change their status quo. Generally speaking politics is filled up with corruption and weak institutionally.
@@alexsocop 😢
How does spreading the knowledge in any way help you? Sort your own problems out. Stop waiting for validation and recognition of past injustices.
10:40 Something that isn't immediately obvious but still incredibly important I think is how this clothing store having the name "Banana Republic" also causes the name to slowly but surely be associated with the store instead of with the horrendous history that should not be forgotten.
It's already insidious enough how chiquita is effectively getting away with everything, it'll be even worse if absolutely noone knows of this horrible piece of history.
The Banana Republic view was whitewashed long before the clothing store chain opened in the 1970's, mostly by literature and Hollywood. If it wasn't for this whitewashed view the store chain would not have been successful.
Nope. I first came across United Fruits Company on Wikipedia after visiting a Banana Republic store and wondered why that is its name.
The workers of the banana plantations in Colombia went on strike on November 12, 1928. The workers made nine demands from the United Fruit Company:
Stop their practice of hiring through sub-contractors
Mandatory collective insurance
Compensation for work accidents
Hygienic dormitories and 6 day work weeks
Increase in daily pay for workers who earned less than 100 pesos per month
Weekly wage
Abolition of office stores
Abolition of payment through coupons rather than money
Improvement of hospital services
That's exactly the concept of bourgeois cultural egemony Antonio Gramsci theorized
If you really want to get out this message you'll have more reach on reddit/facebook/twitter
Love your channel Love your presentation and story telling
In a banana market in South India a few years ago, I remember being amazed at the variety, and variations in flavour and texture, of the dozens of types of bananas on offer. Yet another example of how huge, multi-national corporations have become such a toxic influence on our way of life. Privatizing profits, while socializing ALL negative costs, will be our ultimate folly.
True enough, and I agree. But the way American corps "do it", provides, "all the People all the time", the cheapest possible price on bananas! :)
From Cyprus with love we are back to Latin America. Which country gave us the phrase, " a banana republic?" 🍌
From the short-story collection Cabbages and Kings (1904); originally used to describe those agrarian countries of Central America dependent in the early 20th century on foreign investment in fruit exports
@@scottmcfarlane7524 Honduras
@@Alejo14504 It was inspired by the characters and situations that O. Henry encountered in Honduras in the late 1890s. but the short never said Honduras but thanks!
Honduras
For those who have not seen Rocky XXII, you might enjoy Bananas by Woody Allen...
Videos like these fill me with such rage for such imperialistic powers who have destroyed the peace in so many countries and now they have the gall to close their borders and act all high and mighty when refugees try to come there to solve their lives.
The workers of the banana plantations in Colombia went on strike on November 12, 1928. The workers made nine demands from the United Fruit Company:
Stop their practice of hiring through sub-contractors
Mandatory collective insurance
Compensation for work accidents
Hygienic dormitories and 6 day work weeks
Increase in daily pay for workers who earned less than 100 pesos per month
Weekly wage
Abolition of office stores
Abolition of payment through coupons rather than money
Improvement of hospital services
The best to do is give these countries power and resources back. Europe and US can't just allow 1B people to just migrate.
@@WaveRider1989 No one leaves money on the table or gives power back. Never gonna happen. It has to b taken back. Which is what these people can’t get through their heads. They’re designed to b eternal victims.
Remember imperialism function when citizens consume
@@WaveRider1989 Compare 1930s Nazi Germany Vs 2020s Communist China IN YOUR NEXT VIDEO Project before it's too late
I'm learning a lot of history from your channel. Thank you for breaking it down so it's easy to understand.
Amazing video Johnny! One of your best!
i will never get tired of Johnny's videos. top of the class video production, super interesting topics, it's a 10/10 for me.
Ok Yao Ming
@@idontmakecontent4870 hope u have a great day buddy
Yes his videos are high quality and golden like a 🍌😁
it's probably the channel i'm most excited to see a new video. It's 100% my fav channel without a set scheule, and honestly blasts most of that that do also. lol
@@yaoming7762 Same
I'm from Honduras, thanks for talking about this subject!
The moment I saw the video title I knew there had to be some talk about United Fruit shenanigans in Honduras. Our relationship with banana conglomerates really summarizes our 20th-century history: from the 1911 coup that gave banana companies freedom to do as they please, to the 1954 labor strikes on banana companies that led to our first attempt at building a modern welfare state, to the 1975 'Bananagate' bribes that led to the overthrow of one of our military dictators and to the chairman of United Brands jumping off the 44th floor of a Manhattan building.
The impact of the banana companies and the US continues to this day, of course. The north coast of Honduras remains our main industrial hub due to the infrastructure development done by the banana companies. The US military also used Honduras as a base of operations during the Cold War to quell the leftist uprisings in other Central American countries and therefore backed our military dictators too. As of today, we still host the main US mlitary base in the region, and the US still discretely backs the anti-leftist governments in Honduras by ignoring their abuses of power. It's still very difficult, both politically and economically, for Honduran politicians to do anything that goes against US interests. We still have a lot of work to do to recover and become a nation with real self-determination.
I wish he talked more about the 1954 protests but it was a great video even without that I am also Honduran and I consider very important to learn pur history as a Banana republic to never make the mistake of giving to much power to a foreign company again maybe our countrymen learned from this past mistakes voting againts ZEDES in our recent elections.
People don't understand the reason why people leaving the central american countries and coming to the US is because the US companies was interfering with the companies and taking the land
classic USA doing it's best
@@gangstamack8397 Compare 1930s Nazi Germany Vs 2020s Communist China IN YOUR NEXT VIDEO Project before it's too late
It's difficult because you are a weak nation. In order to do something you'll need to unite the world against them, and I mean the whole world.
Until this is done you'll never get the US out of your country.
My grandmother is Guatemalan, but was already living in the U.S. in the 1950s. However, she still had family in Guatemala when all this went down. One of her cousins and his daughter were guerilla fighters and were kidnapped. Neither of them were ever seen again. Our family still does not know what became of them.
That's horrible what your family must be going through .So sad.
It was aliens just not the green kind
sorry to hear about your family's loss. don't let the elite win.
My father was forced into the military back then he fled when he made his decision of not to stay in the military.
Fascinating! Sad. Eye-opening! Well produced! Thanks Johnny.
Here in Maldives we got 5-7 types of Bananas 🍌
We also import from India & SriLanka as well. Some of them have a creamy vanilla taste as well. Every banana has its own texture and taste. The banana you are talking about is also available, but almost no one consume it because we don’t like the bland taste 😆
We do have Gros Michel Bananas here in Maldives as well 😳. In almost all of the 1200 islands of Maldives has banana trees. There are even red bananas and green ones that are ripe.
Lol that's genuinely funny 😂
Indonesia be lyke: yeah....cute 😝
@@diosundoro5019 le Pakistan but do you guys have 100s of types of best mangoes? Le Europe we have potato and tomato
@@diosundoro5019 true. Our soil is made up mainly of Corel sand thus not much nutrients. We import almost 98% of food items from Indonesia, Egypt, India, Lanka and even Europe.
Here in the Philippines, we could name types of Banana from A-Z (Filipino Alphabet)
I remember that. Because I cheated that Assignment when we were young :)
I've been annoying my friends with this story for a couple years already! Haha
When things go wrong, go the other way
Knowing your channel I bet you don't skimp on the data 😀
The story is ridiculous but usually more digestible for people. What I just can't understand is how tf so many people don't see that this is exactly how most big business is done: fake news, bought officials and even doctors, mass propaganda, murder, CIA/military/Government involvement. And we're just talking about frickin BANANAS! Fukkk!
Lol same I’m really into collectible rare plants and there’s literally hundreds of better completely nut normal banana flavored bananas
This story has been rehashed so often, it’s boring.
Thank you so much! I had homework about this and you made me enjoy doing it.
Thank you johnny for sharing this story ❤️
The fact that Teddy Roosevelt keeps on showing up in these videos almost makes it feel like a show where they only had so many actors, so they had to reuse them for different roles.
Ryan Murphy's American Horror History
@@_Amit_Sunil A very fitting name don't you think?
@@blipblip4202 he didn’t think before speaking 😂🤦🏽♂️
As a Latin American, it hurts seeing this too familiar story. Keep up the great work, Johnny!
As a Latin American this seems so so far away tbh, most of the bananas that are sold in my country come from Ecuador, so maybe in the end it felt a little bit scary, but I’m sure an other banana will be introduced soon.
Wow I never knew about this topic! I'm kinda history & geography loving guy but never knew about this particular topic! I know about the sugarcane plantation exploitation but not this one that Johnny mentioned.
It's so disturbing and saddening to know all these horrific things. Surely history is interesting but sometimes it comes with it's own disadvantage. It's so heart-wrenching to know all these! My understanding of this world is that people especially those having powers always put their greed before anything and never of true character or values. Just cunning selfish pricks who will go to any sort of deceit to fulfill their own greeds.
@@agme8045 what I was referring to wasn’t the banana crisis, but the US interference in Latin America
US is the reason why the rest of us on America are underdeveloped.
edit: not the unique reason, but maybe the most important.
@@zesegatto lol sure, learn some history.
Thank you so much for bringing awareness to this!!!
You are like the David Attenborough of human, land, agriculture conflicts. Thanks for enlightening us on these minimally talked about topics. It is much appreciated ☺️
The workers of the banana plantations in Colombia went on strike on November 12, 1928. The workers made nine demands from the United Fruit Company:
Stop their practice of hiring through sub-contractors
Mandatory collective insurance
Compensation for work accidents
Hygienic dormitories and 6 day work weeks
Increase in daily pay for workers who earned less than 100 pesos per month
Weekly wage
Abolition of office stores
Abolition of payment through coupons rather than money
Improvement of hospital services
@@seekdiscomfort4746 Compare 1930s Nazi Germany Vs 2020s Communist China IN YOUR NEXT VIDEO Project before it's too late
I almost wrote off watching this because I thought "yea everyone knows by now what the US did on behalf of big banana". But I was so wrong. Excellent work! This is the entire detailed history.
@Clik the link below 💋👇 This website is dangerous, you might get hacked or scammed
Starts at 3:28
@@JC20XX ...and continue here ua-cam.com/video/nrznzpZKyCM/v-deo.html
Yeah, I had exactly the same thought process! There are some topics that get stated as esoteric so often that they become mainstream. But then there are some people, like Johnny Harris, who can tell a story you already know and make you learn twice as much about it.
@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 Compare 1930s Nazi Germany Vs 2020s Communist China IN YOUR NEXT VIDEO Project before it's too late
Your videos are very informative and enlightening, thank you
I mean i watched so many videos about this subject but i don't fully understand it until now..thank you so much and keep going 🔥
What is it, exactly, that you understand now?
I’m originally from Guatemala. My dad told me that in the 50s my grandpa received land from the government. It was impossible for a poor man like him to ever own land. They were so happy and started working the land to feed the family. All was taken away once Arbenz was out
So sad, capitalism sucks
@@farooqrajper94 Then with no capitalism what else?
@@farooqrajper94 get off your phone and the internet then
@@thewildcardperson The internet and phones can exist separate from capitalism.
I'm aware, that's not how it seems now, but government funded research actually makes a lot of the technological breakthroughs... which are then monitised by companies
i think we're talking specifically corporatism. the us government covered it as capitalism. what countries did back then. they call it mercantile capitalism, guild capitalism, etc. some communist countries did/do have currency, the system is just different. corporatism does suck
My grandpa worked in a United Fruit plantation in Costa Rica and what he used to tell me about that time was wild. Thank you for telling this story, Johnny!
U should record it all. Save documents. It’s essential historical records.
Very informative video, I didn't knew this part of the story. Thank you Harris for bringing this story.
What’s incredibly paramount after watching this and a lot of your other videos is how the taught history in mainstream schools is closer to that of propaganda not so much different in principle to that of nefarious governments in past such as the nazi’s, Stalin etc. I’m horrified that even in Caribbean and Central American schools what is taught is essentially American propaganda…….speaking as someone who grew up in the Caribbean
They don't want the truth of all their horrors exposed. Ask Desantis in Florida.
Thank you for your relentless passion in storytelling, Johnny. The videos are stellar! All the best and love to your wonderful family from Manila! ✨
Hi from Zamboanga City kabayan.
Kababayan!🤣 From Cebu💕
Banana Republic, the clothing store, originally sold clothes that could be called “colonial chic.” It was full of stuff like pith helmets, khaki cargo pants, and linen shirts. The name was incredibly accurate when the store first opened. That now seems like a strange name as the company evolved, but it made all the sense in the world at first.
still tone deaf as fuck
SHAME 0N Y0U US!!!
AND ST0PS BULLY!NG CH!NA!!!
My aunt helped open that store. (I’m adopted) 😭
@@haikaloronsentnel138 Ah yes because China never ever exploited people or abused human rights and thus should never be criticized
Yep those 80's Banana Republic stores were great. I used to visit one in my home town then Gap bought them out and ruined the design.
The level of depth in these videos ♥
im glad we had social media and had great articles like this.
As a Honduran now living in the US, I watched this video in complete horror because of the atrocities the US has committed in my motherland and all over the world. It's sickening to learn about this because modern day Central America is underdeveloped and plagued with corruption, crime, petty and organized and to learn that the US is partly to blame is enraging and sad. Ughhhh Anyway. Great video and thank you for spreading awareness of these events. All of this shows why History is such an important subject.
un asco lo que hicieron acá, ya sé ahora por qué Izabal y la costa atlántico acá en Guatemala tiene niveles de pobreza comparables con Africa.
yes this is why i support my fellow latinos crossing the border THIS IS OUR LAND
@@fidelramirez5173 This is native american land
@@RomanFanboy yeah the whole continent is
it just goes to show that the United States have done things like modern day china or Russia and other dictatorships around the world. Which honestly irritates me but at least. I hope they and other powers can learn their lession both by their actions and modern dictatorships actions, that exploitation is totally wrong and in most cases will lead to future problems for themselves and everyone. 👍
“Look at the mess we've got ourselves into,' Colonel Aureliano Buendia said at that time, 'just because we invited a gringo to eat some bananas.” - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Marquez
The workers of the banana plantations in Colombia went on strike on November 12, 1928. The workers made nine demands from the United Fruit Company:
Stop their practice of hiring through sub-contractors
Mandatory collective insurance
Compensation for work accidents
Hygienic dormitories and 6 day work weeks
Increase in daily pay for workers who earned less than 100 pesos per month
Weekly wage
Abolition of office stores
Abolition of payment through coupons rather than money
Improvement of hospital services
De los mejores libros escritos en este precioso idioma que es el español
As a Filipino living in North America, the banana I knew was plain home-grown right in our backyard in the Philippines. The funny thing was it took me a while to get used eating the Cavendish banana you mentioned.. Real organic ones have very thin skin when it's ripe and the taste is priceless.
Thank you for bringing up the history behind banana- I was in shocked in the bureaucracy and how evil are the people behind it.
Are you talking about the saba banana?
@@hesdam4935 Saba is not tundan a bisaya reference to bananas that are oblong sized bananas. He mentioned the bananas with very thin skin easily to peel off.
hey guys ... can you please settle down... Americans are reading your comment dont let them know about more bananas that are way way better in our country. i want to live longer
How effing interesting that was! Thank you Sir ❤️
I actually wrote my bachelors thesis on the modern value chain of eco-certified bananas from Ecuador, and in the process I also dived deep into the bloody history of the banana trade, and panama disease. It’s kind of funny to see something I’ve been rambling about for almost a year be made into a pretty video like this
Any further info you might want to add on top of the ones in the video? (Johnny might not able to make it out as it was too long of included)
Don't you think it weird that a second account posted this comment in this video letter for letter?
You should read @Dark 's comment, it's almost identical ... hmmm
I've got a feeling your research is about to have a surge in popularity.
It's weird that someone felt the need to copy my comment word for word, but tbh I'm not terribly attached to whatever fame i can get through youtube comments, so I wont look into it. My own research was specifically about land use change and telecouplings related to the two certification schemes Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade, and the trade between Europe and Ecuador. So it's not terribly relevant to the video.
For anyone curious, the "most ethical" way to consume bananas is to buy only bananas that er certified as both Fairtrade AND organic. That way you ensure workers are atleast somewhat decently payed for their labor, and they wont have to work with the the toxic chemicals associated with conventional banana cultivation
I'm Indonesian and it baffled me first time how people around the world mostly know one kind of Banana. Growing up I ate different type of Banana. And each of them are better suit to eat differently. Some bananas are suitable to fry, some to eat alone, some to eat raw / for savory kind of dish, some are better to blend/make smoothies, some are best when we boiled it, etc etc.
And this story makes it even sadder 🥺
I don’t think it’s true that most people around the world know one type. Most people in the West maybe!! But I know in the Caribbean and Africa we have MANY types of bananas/plantain. We use them not just for a snack but for real food. We fry them, bake them (for example Fried Plantain is a common in the Caribbean as a part of dinner and different islands prefer different types). But the bananas grown in the Caribbean are often shipped to the UK/US are often the one in the video lol
Same here in India we have used to and still do have different bananas for different dishes
Same here in Africa
In India, very few people eat Cavendish bananas.
Best way to do advertising for the sponsor! Great work!!
Johnny literally makes the most riveting videos I’ve ever seen on this platform. Masterful storytelling.
Are you going to boycott consumerism?
Super insightful! I’m an American who’s been living in Guatemala for the past two years and this explains so much about why Guatemala can’t seem to ever recover from their civil war…
Thanks for making in depth content about the things we read one sentence about in history class.
Don't worry we will recover
This was the start of the downfall, but still we have nice things and keep on floating
Nobody there today woyld remember this
Desafortunadamente nuestros políticos incompetentes permiten que se haga esto, los que más deberían velar por el bienestar del pueblo son los que terminan destruyéndolo :(
Thank you for enlightening me about this. I had no idea this had happened in my homeland Colombia
Great video Johnny! Cheers from Colombia
Thank you for making such a good video about this. "Communism" has been an excuse for US politicians and corporations to interfere in places they should never have gone. I've been through Central America on a bicycle and the monocultures are definitely still thriving, with entire towns and ports existing solely for bananas. I love the bananas, but think that the "control the supply chain" thing is a disaster. Too bad it hasn't really changed.
all wars are based on deception, -
yeah, communism and after the cold war the new excuse is terrorism and drugs, its a business, theres nothing changing, its the system
Not only is “Communism” an excuse, “fighting Terrorism and extremism” is another, along with “instilling democratic values”… All of these are just shameless excuses for 21st century American Imperialism.
Facts. And the new excuse is “liberating” 🤦♂️
Americans, not understanding the word "Communism" since 1776
Watching this gives me chills when I hear that big companies like Amazon are considering company run towns.
IT tech companies and e-commerce companies stand to pose a different set of problems for humanity but thinking they're going to be analogous to United Fruit or The British East-India Company is incredibly stupid.
Companies like Amazon and Google have contributed vastly in the advancement of daily human life and also created tons of additional jobs, they don't sell bananas
have you looked into socialism?
@@akjdhajkdjhaghjkadh9804 what
@@akjdhajkdjhaghjkadh9804 You mean the economic system that freed Cuba from American imperialism and make they have the highest HDI between their neighbors who didn't expelled the Yankees.
@@yan7266 i am pro cuba lmao
One of your video has this statement, “if you subconsciously believe in something, what I say fortifies your belief and then there is no going back” something like that. If I repeatedly keep saying something… at some point that will become fact.
Dude Harris.. you are making me restless. You are my hero.
Thanks for the education on this subject. Honestly going to be way more cautious now on which company I buy my fruit from.
History channel: Nazi UFOs
Johnny: Bananas
UFO = gaslighting from military industrial complex.
Want to hear a joke? I happened to meet the guy who invented this whole n azi UFO nonsense... and guess what? He invented it as a kind of joke, satire, and he is laughing off his rocker at the fact that people take it for granted.
@@thequantumalchemist2965 this has happened more times than I'm comfortable with
@@nekozombie WoW death stalker, hey mate check out Navy Tic Tacs in that realm. obviously not the place here, but
WhiskeyTangoFoxtroT Comfortable Death
Another completely insane example to what corporations and governments can get away with. Great episode as per usual 👍
They get away with it because through consumerism we endorse their criminal behavior...
@Clik the link below 💋👇 Stop this thing, this website is dangerous and I think it’s from Russia where they make dangerous websites.
You might get scammed or hacked.
I wonder who actually controls the government currently? Certainly wouldn't be the corporations with their armies of lobbyists.
@@Leftistattheparty the military industrial complex, Big Oil, Big Chem..... And their puppets
International Justice was pretty much something we made up to punish the Nazis and the Japanese after World War 2, afterwards it's been pretty much meaningless
Great video! Brief mention of Edward Bernays’ role in all this .. would love to see you make a video on his widespread impact on history!
Gotta appreciate this guy for all the knowledge.
United Fruit Company is such a reminiscence of British's East India Company and Dutch's VOC, all for bananas. Great job on telling this story.
yeah that's what it reminded me of as well. just corporations who ended up getting way too much power with way too little accountability
Interesting that the companies would not pour some profits into creating a better life for its workers--schools, hospitals, eco friendly housing, etc.
This is almost exactly like the British east India company, like father like son.
Also, this is why we have to learn history, to stop bad things from repeating themselves. great video btw.
No you foo1, that is such a 12 yr. old logic. Things need to repeat themselves in order to get what one wants.
@@cashewnuttel9054 but he not wrong
@@robertevbayekha6639 There is actually a way to stop things from repeating themselves but you people won't do it because you are scared.
@@cashewnuttel9054 what?
@@robertevbayekha6639 Unite every country in the world under one gigantic coalition and declare war on them, the same way the Allies united against Germany and Japan.
The cost - unacceptable. Xlnt reporting. Am here in San Diego CA where we export bananas (just learned from a city tour Ha!). Fascinating how the Banana Company created a market, created media, and created published literature to grow their empire. US has one political party - the corporate party. We must start supporting local growers, and consider non-corporate goods. Local ethnic grocery stores, plantains, other varieties that are healthier! Good work. Keep going.
Wow! This is very educational. Subscribed! 👍
It's shocking to know how one company literally controlled the life of so many innocent people. The worst part of it, is that it's still happening.
Ever heard of British East india company??
Slavery reimagined
@@iknowimcool2514 Ever Heard of the Dutch East india Company ???
@@ThogusDonatus British East India company were the biggest aholes in this world.
they all had an '(insert any European colonial power here) East India Company'
Hi Johnny, I recommend you this book, The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King. It takes you behind the scenes of the initial chapter of the banana story when the industry was just getting started and struggling... I'm grew up in Guatemala so I feel really attached to this part of history. Cheers! Big fan of your videos!
This is a brave, great documentary! Well done.
Protect this Man At all cost. Johnny Harris out here spitting facts and truths and exposing things.
You’ve taught me more about history than I’ve ever even cared about. Those problems didn’t go away they are happening now with corporations and politicians and I think it’s an ingenious way of low key awareness! Thank you!!
This is insane. How little we know. How easily manipulated we are.
Shouldn't you be somewhere rooting for Ukraine? Thats what the government and the media demands of you. Now get to it.
@@Hey_Buddy999 i root for the Ukraine with all my heart.
@@Michal.Sadowski that's my point. Ukraine and Zelensky are as corrupt as they come. Watch the Oliver Stone film for an easy primer. America caused all the issues in that country.
@@Michal.Sadowski And that's what's called Propaganda, and you're buying that Propaganda.
@@rajarshisarkar999 there is a difference between wishing your democratic state to keep on continuing, and the literal lies being spread by governments to fullfill their own disgusting goals. If a Russian would say he would wish to fight for an independent strong Russia who cares? But once that Russian starts to say that fighting against Ukraine is a must because his Russian news agency told him that Ukraine is filled with nazi's which are trying to destroy the pure Russian genes with malaria containing mosquitos. Then we say they are buying into Propaganda.
I live for your stories. AWESOME @JohnnyHarris
New viewer here , love the vids so far and appreciate the way you bring up your sponsors . Quite refreshing if i do say so myself !
@johnny harris, love your videos! This video made me think, you might also look into carrots and why they are orange (something to do with the dutch and their king I've heard), somehow in line with the banana story!
Thank you for always disclosing history as it happened! I am from Guatemala, and a lot of people have no idea how damaging was the Arbenz's coup d'état for the country. Everything that happened after the US intervention laid the foundation for a series of military undemocratic governments, which, in turn, led to a civil war that lasted for decades. The people armed by the United Fruit Company became the first guerrillas, who then developed into the opposition group against these military regimes. By the way, all of this caused a genocide of indigenous peoples in Guatemala. As of today, we're still recovering from the harm the Bananera caused us.
Some interesting points about Guatemala and Arbenz that were missed in the video. At the time, United Fruit owned roughly 70% of the arable land in Guatemala. However they were only using about 8% of that for bananas at the time because they were in the midst of fighting Panama disease and were leaving huge swathes of land fallow to hedge their bets in the region. Arbenz announced that he was planning to nationalize land that was not being used, as the country needed to secure its own agricultural security.
So they should’ve invaded
Thank you for making this video. A lot of people have no clue how the USA works.
I've always wondered why Twitter or reddit haven't tried to cancel Banana Republic, but then I remember none of these people have cracked open a history book, let alone any book since school.
Loved this history lesson. My father, who has passed, was born in 1917 and one day years ago I offered him a banana. He said, "No thanks, they don't taste sweet like the ones I grew up eating." It was his response that made me turn to Google where I learned about the Gros Michel variety. My father said they changed in the 1940's.
Come to my country, Honduras. I'll gladly give you a bunch of them so you can try them. Here we call them "bananas de monte" which means, wild or natural bananas :)
I came here to say that these are definitely not extinct. They look like what we call "guineo de seda" and you can buy them anywhere in El Salvador. The Cavendish is a terrible banana and I avoid them like the plague.
Our bananas taste mushy to me when they are ripe. I like slightly unripe for the texture.
I wish history teachers would explain history like Johnny does. No wonder why, most of these fundamental facts are missing from our history books...🤔 That could be another good story to tell :). Thanks, Johnny for another great video!
History books don’t even teach us history anymore
To be fair, most countries do not tell history on their books this way, unless its worth for the government.
History books in Mexico in 1910 did not call the Diaz government a dictatorship, nowadays its called Porfiriato, a 30 year long continous presidency filled with controversy
If the current US government changes to something even better, maybe they would tell this in their history books
It depends on when and where you went to school this does not get left out like it use to.
There is a curriculum they have to follow
@@Rayquazy follow- ish. The standards dictate what needs to be covered but the day today content is contrôled at the teacher level. Now, what happens is many teacher are grossly incompetent and need a basil reader or textbook dictating what to cover and are too lazy to provide anything besides the bare bones. Ergo, you get what you get in many schools. Also, the way history is taught is about cultural indoctrination and perspective development.
watching this for my GEP class, very helpful
loving the story n the edit
As a Honduran interested in history, I'm so glad you made a great video explaining American imperialism, banana republics, and how Americans got to control Central American countries.
Honduras is in America. You do realize Central America means in the middle of America right?
You mean US Anglo imperialism. The US/UK are majority European nations. Not American at all. Most people in Honduras and Middle America are Indigenous Aboriginal Autochthonous Native Americans.
ua-cam.com/video/QgydTdThoeA/v-deo.html Sam O nella video about this
@@sandraleiva1633 you know what he meant. The whole world basically recognizes The United States as “America” and its citizens as “Americans.”
@Poca Luz Productions No the Whole World doesn't. Typical Anglo mentality. Half the World doesn't. 800 million Spanish speaking people don't. That's not the whole World. In Europe, America parts of Asia and Africa the continent is America and in that continent there are 35 independent American nations. Of which the United States is but one of them. The USA is in America but isn't exclusively America. I suggest you study and read before you make broad ignorant statements that make you look terrible foolish.
@@sandraleiva1633 I am Central American/ 1st Generation United States citizen living in the U.S. Sure, theoretically speaking we from the North, Central, and the Southern America hemisphere all are “Americans” but even then majority of the Hispanic community calls United States Citizens “Americanos” and I am positive we aren’t alone on that. I rest my case that the broad term for United States citizens are recognized as “Americans.” It is not correct as I agree with you on that. Unfortunately, that’s just how the United States is recognized as... America.
The Masacre de las bananeras had a important impact in Colombia´s history. It helped to launch the political carrer of Jorge Eliecer Gaitán a learder who fought for the workers rights. People loved him, and they put all of their hope on him. Unfortunaletly he was assesinated, but the circunstances remain obscure. His death triggered the bogotazo (a young Fidel Castro was there and he was supposed to meet Gaitán that same day) and the violencia period, which basically was the two principal parties killing each others and destroying the country. My grandparents almost got killed during those years. Sadly many people don´t know what happened that day, which changed the colombian history.
It was so important, that Gabriel García Marquez include the event on One houndred years of solitude.
Even though many people don't know now they are educated (myself included) and I really hate that I ate qucquta (I don't know how to write it) and unfortunately helped in the suffering without even knowing I hope and I will try to help people know this story like nestles
@@yiannisanastasopoulos4514 do you mean "chiquita"?
The history guy did an epsiode on bananas. It was really cool. Yours really good too!
amazing! thank you!
This is one of the best channels in yt, your job is amazing. I am from Honduras, one of the countries most affected by these banana fields, to this day they are still in force in some parts of the country, the consequences in the workers' health has reached their children, it is truly sad to keep an eye on the past of my country regarding the banana fields.
“This isn’t a banana republic. You can’t pull strings in America, pay off an official, lean on your cousin. It’s not like France or Spain - those banana republics.”
― Edmund White,
“100 years of solitude” depicts this very well. Thank you for this video
Great comtent. Love this
We can't be the only ones who haven't eaten a banana in years tho right? Another great video Johnny!
...you are the only one, mate.
@@niteshsarkar no
Why
@@niteshsarkar American problem 🤣
I refused to ever buy chiquita