War Is a Racket - Smedley D. Butler

25 days ago
11

In 1931, a speech Butler delivered before the American Legion made the papers. In it, he said:
“I spent thirty-three years and four months in active military service, and during that period, I spent most of my time being 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 Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903.
I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902–1912.
I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914.
I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916.
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 16
Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street.
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.” (page 16/17)
https://kether.com/words/butler-smedley--war-is-a-racket-1.pdf

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