GETTING TO KNOW THE GENERAL BY GRAHAM GREENE: A CRITIQUE OF AMERICAN POWER

Abstract

Graham Greene's Getting to Know the General offers a profound critique of American power dynamics in Latin America, particularly through the lens of General Omar Torrijos' leadership in Panama during the Cold War. The book strongly conveys the feeling that the strategic importance of Panama and the Panama Canal in the region constitutes a justification for the USA's indirect and direct interventions and presence there. Greene depicts how Torrijos, the central figure of the book, emerged as a threat to the US in that country and the region while attempting to defend Panama's sovereignty and national interests. During the Canal Agreement process, his divergence from the dictators in Latin America is emphasised by highlighting his national stance, character, human understanding, libertarian side, courage, and behaviour akin to that of a world leader. By considering political integration with his people through a parliamentary system, Torrijos envisions future plans for both economic development and establishing natural relations with countries in the region. These are perceived as an excellent risk for the USA, and Torrijos dies in a suspicious plane crash. In Getting to Know the General, Greene exposes the dark presence of US power in the region behind the tragic end of Torrijos, who worked sincerely and courageously for his country and refused to be a puppet leader and offers a unique approach in that it shows some still unchanging things in the world fifty years later through fiction.

Keywords

• Graham Greene
• Getting to Know the General
• Panama
• American power
• critique

GRAHAM GREENE’NİN GENERALİ TANIMAK’I: BİR AMERİKAN İKTİDAR ELEŞTİRİSİ

Abstract

Graham Greene'in General'i Tanımak adlı kitabı, özellikle General Omar Torrijos'un Soğuk Savaş döneminde Panama'daki liderliğinin merceğinden, Latin Amerika'daki Amerikan güç dinamiklerinin derin bir eleştirisini sunar. Kitap, Panama’nın ve Panama Kanalı’nın bölgedeki stratejik öneminin ABD’nin buraya dolaylı ve doğrudan müdahalelerine ve varlığına gerekçe oluşturduğu hissini güçlü bir şekilde verir. Greene, kitabın ana figürü olan Torrijos’un, Panama'nın egemenliğini ve ulusal çıkarlarını savunmaya çalışırken ABD’nin bu ülkedeki ve bölgedeki nüfusuna bir tehdit olarak nasıl ortaya çıktığını tasvir eder. Kanal Anlaşması sürecinde milli duruşu, karakteri, insan anlayışı, özgürlükçü yanı, cesareti ve bir dünya lideri gibi davranışına dikkat çekerek Latin Amerika’daki diktatörlerden farkı vurgulanır. Parlamenter bir sistemle halkıyla siyasi bütünleştirmeyi düşünen Torrijos’un hem ekonomik kalkınmaya hem de bölge ülkeleri ile olması gereken doğal ilişkileri kurmaya yönelik gelecek planları vardır. Bütün bunlar ABD için büyük bir risk olarak algılanır ve Torrijos şüpheli bir uçak kazasında ölür. Greene, Generali Tanımak’ta ülkesi için samimiyetle ve cesaretle çalışan ve kukla bir lider olmayı reddeden Torrijos’un trajik sonunun gerisinde ABD iktidarının bölgedeki karanlık varlığına işaret eder ve elli yıl sonrası dünya üzerinde bir takım hala değişmeyen şeyleri kurmaca üzerinden göstermesi bakımından özgün bir yaklaşım sunar.

Keywords

• Graham Greene
• Generali Tanımak
• Panama
• Amerikan iktidarı
• eleştiri

References

1. Absher, S., Grier, R. & Grier, K. (2023). The consequences of CIA-sponsored regime change in Latin America. In European Journal of Political Economy, 80, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2023.102452
2. Benz, S. (2003). Taking sides: Graham Greene and Latin America. Journal of Modern Literature, 26 (2), 113–128.
3. Berger, D., Corvalan, A., Easterly, W. & Satyanath, S. (2013). Do superpower interventions have short and long term consequences for democracy?. Journal of Comparative Economics, 41 (1), 22-34. Bradbury, M. & Bigsby, C. (Eds.). (1983). Graham Greene. Methuen.
4. Brendon, P. (2010). The decline and fall of the British Empire, 1781-1997. Vintage.
5. Gandasegui, M. A. (1993). The military regimes of Panama. Journal of Interamerican Studies & World Affairs, 35 (3), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.2307/165967
6. Garthoff, R. L. (1994). Looking back: The cold war in retrospect. Brookings Review, 12 (3), 10-13. https://doi.org/10.2307/20080484
7. Gordon, Ḥ. (1997). Fighting evil: unsung heroes in the novels of Graham Greene. Greenwood Publishing Group.
8. Greene, H. G. (1977). The country with five frontiers. New York Review of Books, February 17.

9. Greene, H. G. (1978). The great spectacular. New York Review of Books, January 26.
10. Greene, H. G. (1984). Getting to Know the General. Penguin Books.
11. Greene, H. G. (2004). The quiet American. Vintage.
12. Kitchel, D. (1978). The truth about the Panama Canal. Arlington House.
13. Levin, D.H. (2019). A vote for freedom? The effects of partisan electoral interventions on regime type. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 63(4), 839-868.
14. Mansfield, C. & Gessell, D. E. (2022). Making sense of Greene’s Panama: a fuliginous process. Graham Greene Studies, 2 (1), 271-281.
15. Norman J. P. (1943). The Panama Canal in peace and war. Political Science Quarterly, 58 (2), 276–278. https://doi.org/10.2307/2144924
16. Omang, J. (1976). Panama Canal: efficient but vulnerable. Washington Post, May 17. Paternostro, S. (1993-94). Panama: Casablanca without heroes. World Policy Journal, 10 (4), 53-58.
17. Reed, J.D. (1984). Getting to know the general by Graham Greene. Time Magazine. October 22, 124 (17), pp 113-114.
18. Roosevelt, T. (1910). Presidential addresses and state papers, vol. 1 (from February 19, 1902 to May 13, 1903) Review of Reviews Company.
19. Stade, G. (Ed.). (2010). Encyclopedia of British writers, 1800 to the present (2nd ed.). vol. 1. Infobase.
20. Symons, J. (1983). The strength of uncertainty: Graham Greene. Literary Half-Yearly, 24 (1), 1-12.
21. Ward, C (1967). Getting to know the general: The story of an involvement. The Hispanic American Historical Review, 67 (2), 350-351. https://doi.org/10.2307/2515044
22. Weeks, J. (1992). Second time tragedy: US policy in Panama. Third World Quarterly, 13 (1), 184-187.