View Full Version : "War is a Racket"
Had never heard of this book 'till recently. Author was a gent who defined BTDT who had intel no one could claim obtained from the isolated safe towers of academia: Smedley Darlington Butler 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.
From "War is a Racket"
“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."
Book is free here:
https://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html
I wonder how this book was received at the time? Obviously didn't change anyone's mind. I wonder it was read by Generals and or politicians that followed? It appears his warnings and thoughts came well before that of people like Dwight D Eisenhower
You never heard of Smedley Butler?!
Marines pray to Gen Mattis.
Gen Mattis prays to Chesty Puller.
Chesty Puller prayed to Smedley Butler.
I fear that his super early, hyper prescient red-pilling would have had him labeled a Millenial Hipster back in the 20s and 30s.
He was a Quaker who fought in bloody banana wars, had a full body EGA tattoo on his chest, called out the tax and spend fever, called out the The Man for the BS, and led a life quite extraordinaire just by not falling for the BS and keeping it real.
If he wanted to, he could have led a no shit national mutiny and won.
You never heard of Smedley Butler?!
Marines pray to Gen Mattis.
Gen Mattis prays to Chesty Puller.
Chesty Puller prayed to Smedley Butler.
I fear that his super early, hyper prescient red-pilling would have had him labeled a Millenial Hipster back in the 20s and 30s.
He was a Quaker who fought in bloody banana wars, had a full body EGA tattoo on his chest, called out the tax and spend fever, called out the The Man for the BS, and led a life quite extraordinaire just by not falling for the BS and keeping it real.
If he wanted to, he could have led a no shit national mutiny and won.
Yes I have, but had no idea he'd written such a book. That's one hell of a damning few sentence for someone who spent his entire adult life doing the nasty for the US special interests.
Yes I have, but had no idea he'd written such a book. That's one hell of a damning few sentence for someone who spent his entire adult life doing the nasty for the US special interests.
Not really.
I never seen short order cooks eat at their own restaurants.
Hell policework is a racket. The ticket for texting and going 15 over nets more of a profit than jailing agg assault suspects and incurring custodial costs/health costs/meds (HIV is like wildfire).
No cop can honestly say he goes 10-8 to "do the right thing" as long as he has a Sgt riding his ass to make monthly because LT is riding HER ass to make a squad monthly so the CPT will remember once he makes Major.
The sweetest plum is RICOing assets and doing forfeitures. And offering pleas to save court costs which they cant pay and then every year come up hat in hand to a county commission or council to raise taxes (which they already do anyways) while driving up cost of living artificially and simultaneously ensuring urban blight.
Murder is good publicity for tax hikes.
Gen. Butler echoed a lot and saw the future and while his views had a good sized audience; he was not well liked at all by the establishment.
And technically he was a 20th Century Millenial.
You either buy in and be a slave or walk off with your head up.
The man obviously wasnt afraid to get bloody but it was all pretty pointless to keep up oil barons who were going to buy a congressman.
I dare say 1930s M4C would've thought he was a hippie who lost his way.
And Smedley Butler likewise had a colorful policing career where he put out the crooked lardasses, jumped the shit of the socialites, and told rookies to fill up the morgue or the jail, whichever gets results. Stakeout Squads and Jumpouts with shotguns and Thompsons.
But that got too many results so they fired him.
No cop can honestly say he goes 10-8 to "do the right thing" as long as he has a Sgt riding his ass to make monthly because LT is riding HER ass to make a squad monthly so the CPT will remember once he makes Major.
Wow. That’s some damning words right there. Every day I go to work I have two goals. One to do the right thing and two come home safely at the end of the shift. I don’t go to work with the mentality of arresting everyone that I can. If I do the right thing I won’t end up in federal court standing when the Bali says will the defendant please rise and I won’t embarrass my family. I’m not sure where you are but that is not where I work.
Dan
Decided to read it before offering my uninformed opinion.
Thank you for the link!
Andy
Hell policework is a racket.................And Smedley Butler likewise had a colorful policing career where he put out the crooked lardasses, jumped the shit of the socialites, and told rookies to fill up the morgue or the jail, whichever gets results. Stakeout Squads and Jumpouts with shotguns and Thompsons.
But that got too many results so they fired him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faMh6OYfuNE
Thanks for link, will read it tonight.
Wow. That’s some damning words right there. Every day I go to work I have two goals. One to do the right thing and two come home safely at the end of the shift. I don’t go to work with the mentality of arresting everyone that I can. If I do the right thing I won’t end up in federal court standing when the Bali says will the defendant please rise and I won’t embarrass my family. I’m not sure where you are but that is not where I work.
Dan
My point is, if you work the road.... Go a little while without scratching a few and only making arrests on hoods with nary a pot to piss in.
You will get pulled off to the side by 'ol Sarge' or Looey-poo and informally counseled on the importance of getting cites. Same if you are tied up in Superior Court getting overtime while not getting them cites or forfeitures convicting a broke person.
If you aren't seizing, you aren't working.
Like....everybody starts out thinking it is the Justice League of America. But then reality sets in. I'm actually dissenting on filling the jails and morgues and dont advise just shaking down random people. But, the police does generate revenue and are a political tool.
Because most people get solely reactive because of toxic leadership. If you get at least one BS ticket a day, you get a pass. Make too many felony stops that dont pay out, and it irks people.
If you ever worked an intake, you know that the more people who post bond "the better".
But, you may have a squared away outfit where people care about each other, their community, try to keep it in order, and dont back-bite each other. In which case, I suggest you lay spokes and retire there for you have found the Land of Milk and Honey, my friend.
I'm just saying, without going OT, that Gen. Butler was Woke and that was "problematic".
He didnt become a legend by holding his tongue. These hippies wear Che shirts but Smedley Butler was truly the 20th Century's Complete Man.
He rooted out the Philly underground, opposed Patton with the Bonus Army, fought brutally on 3 Continents, personally opposed and defied Herbert Hoover and yet nobody discusses him in Junior High History Class.
Really gets the noggin joggin'
Not really.
I never seen short order cooks eat at their own restaurants.
Hell policework is a racket. The ticket for texting and going 15 over nets more of a profit than jailing agg assault suspects and incurring custodial costs/health costs/meds (HIV is like wildfire).
No cop can honestly say he goes 10-8 to "do the right thing" as long as he has a Sgt riding his ass to make monthly because LT is riding HER ass to make a squad monthly so the CPT will remember once he makes Major.
The sweetest plum is RICOing assets and doing forfeitures. And offering pleas to save court costs which they cant pay and then every year come up hat in hand to a county commission or council to raise taxes (which they already do anyways) while driving up cost of living artificially and simultaneously ensuring urban blight.
Murder is good publicity for tax hikes.
Gen. Butler echoed a lot and saw the future and while his views had a good sized audience; he was not well liked at all by the establishment.
And technically he was a 20th Century Millenial.
You either buy in and be a slave or walk off with your head up.
The man obviously wasnt afraid to get bloody but it was all pretty pointless to keep up oil barons who were going to buy a congressman.
I dare say 1930s M4C would've thought he was a hippie who lost his way.
And Smedley Butler likewise had a colorful policing career where he put out the crooked lardasses, jumped the shit of the socialites, and told rookies to fill up the morgue or the jail, whichever gets results. Stakeout Squads and Jumpouts with shotguns and Thompsons.
But that got too many results so they fired him.
Not complaining, but I haven't received your newsletter yet. ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faMh6OYfuNE
I'd retort with a clip from "The Guard", but I don't think there's a single scene in that movie that's M4C Safe (and if anyone hasn't seen it, you're missing out). :cool:
Smedley Butler was a Marine's Marine. He was opinionated, he what's principled, but he was also a Marine who followed orders.
Damn good read. I read it while on active duty and doing a work up. Really made me think and probably helped solidify my cynical-ness and belief in the military-industrial complex. Also read his biography. He was a bad ass and I take his opinion very highly.
MountainRaven
12-26-17, 22:01
You never heard of Smedley Butler?!
Marines pray to Gen Mattis.
Gen Mattis prays to Chesty Puller.
Chesty Puller prayed to Smedley Butler.
I fear that his super early, hyper prescient red-pilling would have had him labeled a Millenial Hipster back in the 20s and 30s.
He was a Quaker who fought in bloody banana wars, had a full body EGA tattoo on his chest, called out the tax and spend fever, called out the The Man for the BS, and led a life quite extraordinaire just by not falling for the BS and keeping it real.
If he wanted to, he could have led a no shit national mutiny and won.
I believe that Smedley Butler testified to Congress in the early 1930s that certain business interests and devotees of fascism had approached him about how much money it would take for him to lead a coup against FDR. He was chosen for precisely that reason.
And he told them to go hang and then went to Congress about it. IIRC, the Congressional investigation didn't get far after he'd given his testimony.
Sinclair Lewis wrote a book in 1935 based on the plot titled, It Can't Happen Here. (And It Can't Happen Here was eventually the basis for a TV show titled V. Which y'all may have heard of.)
He rooted out the Philly underground, opposed Patton with the Bonus Army, fought brutally on 3 Continents, personally opposed and defied Herbert Hoover and yet nobody discusses him in Junior High History Class.
Well, I hope it is still a fact that folks who stand on the yellow footprints still learn about Presley O'Bannon, Smedley Butler, et al.
And I hope just like me, when they go out onto the Parade Deck and hear the Hymn, goosebumps go up and down their spine at belonging to the same Corps as those legends.
I believe that Smedley Butler testified to Congress in the early 1930s that certain business interests and devotees of fascism had approached him about how much money it would take for him to lead a coup against FDR. He was chosen for precisely that reason.
And he told them to go hang and then went to Congress about it. IIRC, the Congressional investigation didn't get far after he'd given his testimony.
Sinclair Lewis wrote a book in 1935 based on the plot titled, It Can't Happen Here. (And It Can't Happen Here was eventually the basis for a TV show titled V. Which y'all may have heard of.)
#FifthElementIsReal
Well, I hope it is still a fact that folks who stand on the yellow footprints still learn about Presley O'Bannon, Smedley Butler, et al.
And I hope just like me, when they go out onto the Parade Deck and hear the Hymn, goosebumps go up and down their spine at belonging to the same Corps as those legends.
I've moved out of the Corps and into other .gov service. My office was at lunch one day with our supervisor. We're all prior .mil from three of the four branches, but our sup never served. We were discussing federal regs and the subject of firearms came up. He stated that the .gov allowed Americans to own guns and could take away that "privilege". All four of us jumped on him so quickly and so harshly, I actually saw fear in his eyes. And you know what? For what he said, I very much savored his fear!
#FifthElementIsReal
I've moved out of the Corps and into other .gov service. My office was at lunch one day with our supervisor. We're all prior .mil from three of the four branches, but our sup never served. We were discussing federal regs and the subject of firearms came up. He stated that the .gov allowed Americans to own guns and could take away that "privilege". All four of us jumped on him so quickly and so harshly, I actually saw fear in his eyes. And you know what? For what he said, I very much savored his fear!
its really sad how the leff thinks the gov gives us priveleges or just has no clue about things
As a man once wrote:
“Hell policework is a racket. The ticket for texting and going 15 over nets more of a profit than jailing agg assault suspects and incurring custodial costs/health costs/meds (HIV is like wildfire).
No cop can honestly say he goes 10-8 to "do the right thing" as long as he has a Sgt riding his ass to make monthly because LT is riding HER ass to make a squad monthly so the CPT will remember once he makes Major.
“The sweetest plum is RICOing assets and doing forfeitures. And offering pleas to save court costs which they cant pay and then every year come up hat in hand to a county commission or council to raise taxes (which they already do anyways) while driving up cost of living artificially and simultaneously ensuring urban blight.
Murder is good publicity for tax hikes.”
My bucolic little burg has twice the cops it needs, and they stay very busy running their speed trap for the unwary. Great little moneymaker, especially in summertime. “Serving and protecting” indeed.
Sir Robert Peel, originator of modern policing, wrote his “Principles of Policing” in 1829.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles
“It’s the good guys against the bad guys. Question is—who are the good guys?”
Nobody even knows who Robert Peel or Cesare Beccaria are anymore, dude.
Seriously.
Per Govt "privileges",
AHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA
ahem. I needed a laugh. The Govt merely observes and, in a perfect world, respects the Rights as self-evident and endowed by our Creator (or We are just simply born having them for you Deists out there).
It doesn't bestow.
Nobody thought like this until the 30s.
There was a time in this country where the President coming to your town could be considered a call to arms.
Like...go watch Gangs of New York.
I wish sometimes our Founding Fathers were Vampires so they could tell everybody today how wrong and backwards they are.
Should I lay with a woman and father the Starchild, I shall tell him everyday that you can either live and die as a man or live forever as a worm but you cant do both.
Nobody even knows who Robert Peel or Cesare Beccaria are anymore, dude.
Seriously.
Per Govt "privileges",
AHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA
ahem. I needed a laugh. The Govt merely observes and, in a perfect world, respects the Rights as self-evident and endowed by our Creator (or We are just simply born having them for you Deists out there).
It doesn't bestow.
Nobody thought like this until the 30s.
There was a time in this country where the President coming to your town could be considered a call to arms.
Like...go watch Gangs of New York.
I wish sometimes our Founding Fathers were Vampires so they could tell everybody today how wrong and backwards they are.
Should I lay with a woman and father the Starchild, I shall tell him everyday that you can either live and die as a man or live forever as a worm but you cant do both.
Per the man, he can get Fvc@ed.
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War is a racket that benefits a few, yet fools many.
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