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Garrett78

(10,721 posts)
Tue May 29, 2018, 02:28 AM May 2018

A reminder of what General Smedley Butler had to say.

With all of the talk about how soldiers have died so that the rest of us in the US can have freedom, I think it might be good to recall some of what General Butler (the most decorated soldier in US history at the time of his death) had to say.

Here's a quote:

“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.”

Here are more quotes: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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A reminder of what General Smedley Butler had to say. (Original Post) Garrett78 May 2018 OP
Al Capone. He is the guy I think about with this days government. rusty quoin May 2018 #1
i keep thinking P T Barnum. who had more suckers? pansypoo53219 May 2018 #2
When is the last time an American soldier actually died HopeAgain May 2018 #3
General Butler saved our Republic when he ratted out the big business interests (some of whom you Demsrule86 May 2018 #4
War is a racket mitch96 May 2018 #5
The racket's been going on far before General Butler was even born ansible May 2018 #6
But we are so exceptional.... BSdetect May 2018 #7

HopeAgain

(4,407 posts)
3. When is the last time an American soldier actually died
Tue May 29, 2018, 06:36 AM
May 2018

for "our freedom?" I think we need to start reframing description the use of our modern military.

Demsrule86

(68,352 posts)
4. General Butler saved our Republic when he ratted out the big business interests (some of whom you
Tue May 29, 2018, 06:39 AM
May 2018

would still recognize today) to Congress after they attempted to overthrow the Roosevelt during the Businessman's Revolt. Nothing was ever done...maybe Roosevelt used this to keep big business from interfering...who knows? But if you read the congressional testimony. It is shocking, and there is no doubt many were guilty.


https://harpers.org/blog/2007/07/1934-the-plot-against-america/

mitch96

(13,821 posts)
5. War is a racket
Tue May 29, 2018, 09:16 AM
May 2018

The Businessman's revolt was all about money.. They saw Nazi Germany as a model for the military industrial complex to make buckets of cash. One thought was that's how Roosevelt got the new deal passed... When the jig was up and they were found out he said,
Back my New Deal plan or I'll have you all put against the wall and shot for treason!!!
"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun"...Mao Zedong

m

 

ansible

(1,718 posts)
6. The racket's been going on far before General Butler was even born
Tue May 29, 2018, 09:21 AM
May 2018

Hell, this country was founded by angry businessmen who were butthurt that London didn't want to give them peerage in Parliament. And if you want a truly disgusting war fought solely for greed, look up the Mexican-American war. We're lucky mexicans aren't angrier about that, because they'd have a legitimate reason to be.

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