Sending troops to attack protesters…..jailing journalists…..sending police to voting stations….all this sounds like some third world Banana Republic.

The questions is being asked….do we now live in a Banana Republic (not the retail giant)?

How would we know?

Jack A. Goldstone has given us a few of the characteristics……

To sum up, let me offer a short (well, not so short) list. You know you are living in a banana republic when:

1. The top policy-making jobs go to the President’s children and in-laws, rather than to experienced, qualified professionals.

2. Second-tier jobs go to friends and hangers-on of the President (e.g. having the President’s family wedding-planner appointed to a top housing job in the country’s largest city; or appointing people with no scientific qualifications to critical jobs overseeing scientific/technical programs).

3. Qualified professionals are reduced to window-dressing; they don’t attend key meetings and are not put in charge of…