Re: survival? - was Re: Stealing it all in Guatemala

Actually, I can't help wondering how many of the railroads problems have to do with it having been built by/for United Fruit. After all, building a hiway to the Atlantic to compete with it was one of the things that covinced the US that the government of Guatamala was a nest of Commies back in '53, resulting in the CIA overthrowing the government, leading to a bloody civil war. People in Central America *really* hated United Fruit.

Sort of like the way, even in the 60's & 70's when I was growing up, the big reason to build roads in The Peoples Republic of Iowa was to "break the monoplistic stranglehold the railroads have on the states farmers" - even as the RRs were going bankrupt all around.

hank