General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: 'Profoundly ahistorical': 4-star generals side with Jack Smith, tell Supreme Court Trump's immunity claims are 'assault' [View all]malthaussen
(17,308 posts)... what I find curious about that whole plot is that absolutely nothing was done to any of the alleged conspirators, even though the investigating committee verified most of Butler's statements.
Problem is, Smedley Butler already had a reputation as something of a loose cannon among military professionals. His politics leaned Left (he even voted for a Socialist candidate for President), and he was soon to write his scathing expose, War is a Racket, which had to step on a number of very important toes, since it presented the facts about American imperialism, especially in Central America and the Caribbean. He'd already been rejected for Commandant of the Corps for "unreliability" and retired from active duty. Which makes it very strange to me, anyway, that the conspirators would have thought to tap him for military leader of their Right coup. A more inappropriate candidate I can scarce imagine, but maybe Prescott Bush and his ilk were as tone-deaf as their descendants would be.
Anyway, Butler was presented with an offer to help overthrow the US government, and instead blew the whistle on the alleged conspirators, even if it went nowhere. That takes a considerable amount of courage (but Butler didn't lack that commodity). Signing an amicus brief to the USSC as a retired flag officer risks nothing at all. So I think the two actions are not comparable.
-- Mal