Monday, March 09, 2015

Holy Good Neighbor Policy Batman!

So it seems even Batman was interested in U.S.-Latin American Relations. My kids periodically flip around old TV shows, and out of nowhere I heard this line of dialogue:

And in Wayne Manor stately residence of millionaire Bruce Wayne and his youthful ward, Dick Grayson. 
He's just come in, sir. 
I'll get him for you. 
I thought Lima was the capital of Ecuador. 
Now as you can see, I was right. 
It's the capital of Peru. 
Oh, I just love this game of capitals. 
It's so educational. 
Not only that, if we don't know about our friends to the south how can we carry on our good neighbor policy? - Ahem.

I have never heard the Good Neighbor Policy mentioned in any form in pop culture so it really caught my attention. But then I had to shake my head because the episode was produced in 1966, a point at which the Good Neighbor Policy had been dead and buried for many years. Within the past 12 years the U.S. had invaded Guatemala, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. In 1964, just two years prior, the Mann Doctrine had proclaimed the U.S. no longer cared whether governments came into power by a military coup, and LBJ had encouraged the Brazilian coup that year.

I know, I know, I am criticizing Batman for historical inaccuracy. It is interesting, though, how the very positive popular view of U.S. policy diverges so much from what was actually happening.

1 comments:

Noel Maurer 10:24 PM  

That's a great episode!

I think, though, that the writers were being sarcastic. The great thing about Batman is that it was one of the first children's shows that was also aimed at adults.

Yes, sadly enough, I just discovered your blog. Interesting stuff!

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