đ„A shocking critique of pro-war 'elites' - by the most famous USMC war hero in U.S. history âș'War Is A Racket' reveals how WAR is used as a profitable corruption racket benefitting major corporations, government bureaucrats, & parasitic profiteers. đ„USMC Major General Smedley D. Butler III (ret.) tactfully eviscerates Corporate Monopolists, warmongering Fascists, Communists & Nazis, Big Government, predatory Bankers, and American politicians alike. He plainly reveals the true motives and methods of crazed power brokers - manipulating the masses as they extract wealth from the people they destroy in the process.
Published in 1935 (several years before WWII), "War Is A Racket" rings as true today as ever. Maj. General Butler showed remarkable wisdom and foresight - sounding an alarm that a Second World War, using even more destructive weapons, could be on the horizon.
In addition to his scathing and brilliantly composed commentary, Maj. Gen. Butler provides actionable solutions for minimizing war and the human suffering. Unfortunately, these measures remain unimplemented. "War Is A Racket" is engaging, concise, and so prescient that one could easily read portions and believe it was published just yesterday.đ„
âș"A Racket is best described as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the 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 very many". âșMaj. Gen. Smedley D. Butler III, USMC (retired)
Smedley Darlington Butler III (July 30, 1881 â June 21, 1940) was a United States Marine Corps major general, the highest rank authorized at that time, and at the time of his death the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. During his 34-year career as a Marine, he participated in military actions in the Philippines, China, in Central America and the Caribbean during the Banana Wars, and France in World War I. Butler later became an outspoken critic of U.S. wars and their consequences. He also exposed an alleged plan to overthrow the U.S. government.
In 1933, Butler revealed a conspiracy now known as the Business Plot when he testified before a U.S. Congressional Committee that a group of wealthy 'elites' were planning a military coup to overthrow FDR. They attempted to recruit Butler to lead a march of veterans and become dictator - similar to Communist/Fascist regimes of the day. The individuals involved all denied the existence of a plot and the media ridiculed the allegations, however, a final report by a special House of Representatives Committee was able to conclusively verify portions of Butler's testimony.
Maj. Gen. Butler became a popular activist, speaking at meetings organized by veterans, anti-war activists, and church groups throughout the 1930s.
