War Is A Racket By Major General Smedley Butler

[Are_grits_groceries]

CHAPTER ONE

War Is A Racket

WAR is a racket. It always has been.

It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.

A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.

In the World War a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. At least 21,000 new millionaires and billionaires were made in the United States during the World War. That many admitted their huge blood gains in their income tax returns. How many other war millionaires falsified their tax returns no one knows.

How many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle? How many of them dug a trench? How many of them knew what it meant to go hungry in a rat-infested dug-out? How many of them spent sleepless, frightened nights, ducking shells and shrapnel and machine gun bullets? How many of them parried a bayonet thrust of an enemy? How many of them were wounded or killed in battle?

Out of war nations acquire additional territory, if they are victorious. They just take it. This newly acquired territory promptly is exploited by the few -- the selfsame few who wrung dollars out of blood in the war. The general public shoulders the bill.

And what is this bill?

There's more: http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html

We owe Gen. Butler a great deal. He exposed the plot to overthrow the government by a group of wealthy industrialists.

When he said war was a racket, he knew what he was talking about.
Here is his view of his military service:

"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."

Gen.Butler showed his bravery in many ways. He spoke out openly against the military-industrial complex. It took stones to do that. He had shown on the battlefield that he possessed the courage to act and save others. He was awarded 2 'Congressional Medals of Honor."

[AzDar]

1. Smedley is an unsung hero.

:patriot:

[Are_grits_groceries]

2. He deserves a statue (or statues). nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. I gave the books to my 2 sons for Christmas one year.

Being my kids, they appreciated the gift.

Glad to see he is being re-discovered.

[Soylent Brice]

4. K&R K&R K&R .............&*^%#$)(%$#

there should be no reason why any DUer has NOT read this.

[StarfarerBill]

5. Gen. Butler also showed his heroism by spilling the beans to Congress...

...on a conspiracy by wealthy industrialists to stage a coup d'etat against President Roosevelt.

The man was fearless.

[UpInArms]

6. this should be required reading in high school and college theses should

be based on the truths contained in Smedley Butler's words.

[Are_grits_groceries]

9. I agree. nt

[create.peace]

7. always good to read......knr

making war materiel should be non-profit

[phasma ex machina]

8. K&R

[chill_wind]

10. A hearty kick

(would rec twice if I could.)