history at the time of his death in 1940. He won renown as a battlefield hero and was the most decorated Marine in U.S. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. Smedley Butler joined the Marine Corps at age 16 and took part in critical military actions in Cuba, the Philippines, China, Central America, Mexico, and France. Looking back on it, I feel that I could have given Al Capone a few hints. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested.ĭuring those years, I had, as the boys in the back room would say, a swell racket. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912 (where have I heard that name before?). I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. This is typical with everyone in the military service. My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of higher-ups. Like all the members of the military profession, I never had a thought of my own until I left the service. I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Smedley Butler Perhaps the single most active military officer in the Banana Wars was U.S. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high class muscle- man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. I spent thirty- three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country's most agile military force, the Marine Corps. It may seem odd for me, a military man to adopt such a comparison. It has its "finger men" to point out enemies, its "muscle men" to destroy enemies, its "brain men" to plan war preparations, and a "Big Boss" Super-Nationalistic-Capitalism. Smedley Butler describes a 'facist plot' to overthrow President Franklin D. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. Butler was a highly decorated Marine Corps general who had received the Medal of Honor twice. There isn't a trick in the racketeering bag that the military gang is blind to. Butler: 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. War for any other reason is simply a racket. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. There are only two things we should fight for. I wouldn't go to war again as I have done to protect some lousy investment of the bankers. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag. The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fight. I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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