Major General Smedley Butler: "War is a racket" - WPFW Pacifica

[hector459]

escerpt (Listen if can, it's on Pacifica radio now)
Truer words were never spoken or written!

" War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of 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 masses.

I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fight. 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. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag.

I wouldn't go to war again as I have done to protect some lousy investment of the bankers. There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket."

http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.jsp?query=major+general+smedley+butler&page=1&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3D2539fc2b280d0854%26clickedItemRank%3D2%26userQuery%3Dmajor%2Bgeneral%2Bsmedley%2Bbutler%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.fas.org%252Fman%252Fsmedley.htm%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3DNSCPToolbarNS%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fas.org%2Fman%2Fsmedley.htm

[rainy]

1. I love Smedley Butler's story

there a web page www.warisaracket.com that covers this nicely.

[deutsey]

2. Butler was apparently approached by Wall Street fascist sympathizers

and asked to front a coup against FDR. Butler exposed the plot, but nothing every happened to the conspirators.

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/Coup.htm

[anarchy1999]

3. Major Smedley is one of my heros. Everyone should read all of

WAR IS A RACKET.

And yes, he did stop a coup.

[oneighty]

4. A year or two past

I went to a Marine Corps web site. Smedlely had been removed from his honored position.

That is how I remember it.

180

[hector459]

5. Here is the link to his entire dissertation on WAR.

http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.jsp?query=major+general+smedley+butler&page=1&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3D2539fc2b280ddd3d%26clickedItemRank%3D4%26userQuery%3Dmajor%2Bgeneral%2Bsmedley%2Bbutler%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.veteransforpeace.org%252Fwar_is_a_racket_033103.htm%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3DNSCPToolbarNS%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.veteransforpeace.org%2Fwar_is_a_racket_033103.htm

This is from a Veterens for Peace site. It should be required reading in all public high schools!

[hector459]

6. Anybody read this yet. It's amazing. Wish someone could read it

aloud on the nightly news stations and cable news stations and FOX.