Librivox recording of war is a racket by smedley butler. In smedley butlers famous essay war is a racket, he. War is a racket is marine general, smedley butlers classic treatise on why wars are conducted, who profits from them, and who pays the price. War is a racket is a speech and a 1935 short book, by smedley d. A racket is best described, i believe, as something that is not what it seems to the. Butler, a retired united states marine corps major general and twotime medal of honor recipient. During his 34year career as a marine, he participated in military actions in the philippines, china, in. He had been appointed commanding officer of the gendarmerie during the united states. During his 34 years of marine corps service, smedley butler was awarded numerous medals for heroism including the marine corps brevet medal the highest marine medal at its time for officers, and subsequently continue reading war is a racket. War is a racket the antiwar classic by americas most. Butler and the contradictions of american military history. War is a racket incredible essay by general smedley.
Oct 21, 2008 hes saying that war is, indeed, a racket. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. It makes a bundle for the militaryindustrialcongressional complex to use ikes original draft of his speech and it kills the flower of our youth, as well. Barber, this book includes two neverbeforepublished anti. Now that i see the international war clouds gathering, as they are today, i must face it and speak out.
I suspected i was just part of a racket at the time. Mar 11, 2019 the themes of these lectures formed the basis for his 1935 work war is a racket which outlined the connections between war and business. A racket is best described, i believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. War is a racket major general smedley butler youtube. Smedly butler was writing at the very end of that period when war became truly unprofitable. The millions dead in the war are millions of consumers that arent buying trucks, lower demand means lower quantity supplied and lower prices. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the us or from the uk, depending on stock availability. War is a racket and over 8 million other books are available for amazon kindle. In the world war world war i a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. War is a racket incredible essay by general smedley butler. In june 1940, butler entered the philadelphia naval hospital after being ill for several weeks.
This extraordinary argument against war by an unexpected proponent is relev. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses. I served in all commissioned ranks from second lieutenant to major general. The antiwar classic by americas most decorated general new ed by butler, smedley d. Works by smedley butler at librivox public domain audiobooks smedley butler at find a grave the marine corps general who called war a racket. Butler, major general smedley war is a racket 1935. In addition, but maj gen smedley butler on interventionism excerpt from a speech delivered in 1933. Sep 12, 2014 very few people in current service agree with butler s assessment, but their exact reasons differ depending on their service and rank. As the commandant of the marine corps, butlers perspective is largely inaccessible to junior enlisted personne. A racket is best described, i believe, as something that is.
War is a racket project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. War is a racket by smedley butler still ringing true 80. The irony would not be lost on butler, who toured the u. Butler said, i served in all commissioned ranks from second lieutenant to major general. Excerpt from a speech delivered in 1933, by major general smedley butler, usmc. Smedley butler was a united states marine corps major general the highest rank authorised during his day who fought in the socalled banana wars in the caribbean, operations in china, the philippines and central america, as well as commanding camp pontanezen in.
A very popular and plainspoken man, general butler exposed an american attempt at a coupdetat in 1932, where he was to be made the first fascist leader of america. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. Smedley butler s expose of american corporate imperialism. It may seem odd for me, a military man to adopt such a comparison. Major general smedley darlington butler july 30, 1881 june 21, 1940, nicknamed old gimlet eye, was a senior united states marine corps officer who fought in both the mexican revolution and world war i.
The only highranking soldier to come out of the cupboard and tell the real background story of the business, military and moral corruption behind ww i. Butler, major general smedley war is a racket 1935 he was a very brave man and a real hero. Smedley butler november 12, 2015 rich winkel 18 comments during the fdr years, general smedley butler singlehandedly saved this country from a fascist coup by wall street financiers including prescott bush, money launderer for fritz thyssen, a major german industrialist, war profiteer and financial backer of. In 1935, he penned his nowclassic work, war is a racket. A radio documentary excerpt from a speech delivered in 1933 by major general smedley butler which war is a racket was based on, serving as a summary of the pamphlet. The original volume is scarce, and only available from online booksellers for three hundred dollars and more. Smedley darlington butler july 30, 1881 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. Very few people in current service agree with butlers assessment, but their exact reasons differ depending on their service and rank. If i only had a dollar for every person who misquoted war is a racket as a means to try to make me look foolish for being in the iraq war, i wouldnt be. Was smedley butler right when he called war a racket.
Somewhat less wellknown than eisenhowers is a 1935 speech by general smedley butler titled war is a racket. Upon his retirement, butler began traveling the country and speaking out against war profiteering. Roosevelts policies were practically dictated by wealthy bankers, wall street financiers, and big business. War is a racket major general smedley butler the military. The actor does a great job, he even looks like butler. War is a racket by smedley butler is a famous speech denouncing the military industrial complex. The profit motive behind warfare butler, smedley on amazon. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. For a great many years, as a soldier, i had a suspicion that war was a racket. In them, butler frankly discusses from his experience as a career military officer how business interests commercially benefit including war profiteering from warfare. Based on his career military experience, butler discusses how business interests commercially benefit, such as war profiteering from warfare. War is a racket by smedley butler still ringing true 80 years on. That war is a racket has been told us by many, but rarely by one of this stature. Butler full audiobook greatest audiobooks smedley darlington butler july 30, 1881.
Butler was, at the time of his death, the most decorated marine in u. This extraordinary argument against war by an unexpected proponent is relevant now more than ever. More about analysis of war is a racket by major smedley butler. Apr, 2010 smedley butler was a us general and one of the most decorated soldiers in the history of the us military. The themes of these lectures formed the basis for his 1935 work war is a racket which outlined the connections between war and business. A reporter a butler confidant testified macguire said, we might go along with roosevelt and then do with him what mussolini did with the king of italy.
Major general smedley butler americans who tell the truth. War is a racket, originally printed in 1935 by the round table press, has been reprinted by both peaceniks and antiinterventionist rightwingers throughout the century and is also available in truncated form on a number of websites. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. His riveting 1935 book war is a racket merits inclusion as required reading for every high school student, and for every member of our. On war is a racket by major smedley butler explains how government portrays war. A racket is best described, i believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Few people are as qualified as general butler to advance the argument encapsulated in his books sensational title. Profile of major general smedley butler, banana war crusader. This seminal piece of writing rings as true today as it did during butlers lifetime.
War is a racket by major general smedley butler dandelion salad. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. A racket is best described, i believe, as something that is not what it seems to. His short and damming assessment of the business of war might explain why. If you are to ignore all the details about the casualties and who said what and who did what, you are still left with the essence of the speech. In addition to photos from the notorious 1932 antiwar book the horror of it by frederick a. I never heard the speech before, it is awesome and timeless. You can see the story is already starting to fall apart under its own internal contradictions before ive even started to show that none of these assumptions are true.
War is a racket is the title of two works, a speech and a booklet, by retired united states marine corps major general and two time medal of honor recipient smedley d. War is a racket is the title of the influential speech butler delivered on a tour across the united states, as well the expanded version of the talk that was later published in 1935and is now reprinted here. Jun 29, 2018 the best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. Butler, a retired united states marine corps major general and twotime medal of honor. The author of this inflammatory text, general smedley butler, twice awarded the congressional medal of honour, was the most awarded and highly esteemed soldier in american history.
The antiwar classic by americas most decorated soldier. Though he died in 1940, the highly decorated general butler two esteemed medals of honor deserves to be heralded for his timeless message, which rings true today more than ever. What do marines think of war is a racket written by. In the world war i a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. General smedley butlers frank book shows how american war efforts were animated by bigbusiness interests. Marine core july 30, 1881 june 21, 1940 has been one of the many retired u. Though he faced criticism, butler was steadfast in his beliefs about war, us imperialism, and a growing profascist movement. Originally printed in 1935, war is a racket is general smedley butlers frank speech describing his role as a soldier as nothing more than serving as a puppet for bigbusiness interests. Yet where most would have heard the names of macarthur, westmoreland, schwartzkoff, powell and eisenhower, smedley butler is almost unknown. And during that period i spent most of my time being a highclass muscle man for big business, for wall street, and for the.
Fbi file on antiwar activist smedley butler, author of war is a racket. Butler went a step further, writing a book titled war is a racket. The antiwar classic by americas most decorated general, two other antiinterventionist tracts, and photographs from the horror of it smedley darlington butler feral house, 2003 political science 66 pages. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the bill of rights. If the book is under in your country, do not download or. Find in a library download this page pdf download left page pdf. Smedley defined a racket as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Government justifies war as a thing of glory for young soldiers to be in, almost as if it was a trend formatted. Many former top generals and admirals have written memoirs around the theme war is hell, but gen. Analysis of war is a racket by major smedley butler bartleby. War is a racket, by major general smedley butler, 1935.
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