Fin vs History A Real Country Doesn’t Collapse Over Bananas (with Geoffrey Asmus) | The CIA Under Allen Dulles
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Aug 28, 2025 Geoffrey Asmus, a comedian known for his sharp wit, dives into the intriguing world of CIA coups led by Allen Dulles. He humorously debates whether Dulles was a sinister puppet master or just a banana enthusiast. Their conversation weaves through the complexities of U.S.-Iran relations and the 1954 coup in Guatemala, revealing the absurdity of foreign interventions. Asmus's comedic perspective makes the serious implications of these historical events both entertaining and thought-provoking, blending humor with critical analysis.
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Dulles Made Covert Intervention The Default
- Alan Dulles transformed the CIA into a covert global operator during the early Cold War era.
- His tenure normalized coups, secret ops, and deep-state influence as standard foreign-policy tools.
Operation Ajax Set The Playbook
- Operation Ajax in Iran used propaganda, paid protesters and a shah restoration to remove Mossadegh.
- The coup succeeded and became the CIA's template for future regime change operations.
Guatemala Over Bananas
- Guatemala's Arbenz redistributed United Fruit land and offered compensation that the company refused.
- The CIA, with Dulles ties to United Fruit, executed PBSuccess and installed a friendly military leader.
