Gunboat diplomacy

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Gunboat diplomacy is the use of military troops to maintain hegemony over a sphere of influence, usually associated with the age of imperialism and colonialism. The term originates from the Second Moroccan Crisis of 1911 when the German Empire sent the gunboat Panther to the Port of Agadir in a pretext to World War I which was interpreted by French interests as being a militaristic response to a diplomatic dispute.[1]

In practical terms, it means when the peasants revolt against United Fruit in Latin America, send in the Marines. When a small republic has a coup d'etat that you don't like the results of, send in the Marines.

Theodore Roosevelt famously described this policy as "a big stick."

Smedley Butler, a retired Marine Corps general, wrote the booklet War is a Racket detailing how gunboat diplomacy works. In a famous quote from the book:

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 make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.[2]

Very few U.S. presidents since the late 19th century have not resorted to gunboat diplomacy. The two who notably eschewed it were Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter.

George W. Bush took gunboat diplomacy to a new level of stupid after 9/11.

[edit] More examples of U.S. gunboat diplomacy

[edit] See also

[edit] Footnotes

  1. The Morocco Crisis of 1911, Mount Holyoke
  2. The newspaper "Common Sense" 1935, according to Wikiquote
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