I came across this book by accident. My curiosity got me here, and I don't know what to think. Even if only part of this book is true, this is a very scary world where greed-driven atrocities are dressed up in more palatable words. I'm hoping what he said in this book wasn't true, but I have a sinking feeling that it might.
War is a Racket was copyrighted in early 1930's (based on a speech and pamphlet) by retired US Marine Corps Major General and two-time Medal of Honor recipient Smedley Darlington Butler.
He wrote this book based on his military experiences, and it's a scathing indictment on our government's history of war (remember this book was published in early 1930's).
"I spent thirty-three years and four months in active military service, and during that period I spent most of my time being 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 Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902 - 1912. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. 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. 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 racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."
In everything I read, I tell myself that this book probably contains some partial truths, but it's hard to deny "at least 21,000 new millionaires and billionaires were made in the United States during the World War (he means WWI)." He went on to ask "how many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle? How many f them spent sleepless, frightened nights, ducking shells and shrapnel and machine gun bullets? How many of them parried the bayonet thrust of an enemy? How many of them were wounded or killed in battle?"
If nothing, this book is thought provoking, just like the Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekara. And just like the Imperial Life in the Emerald City, War is a Racket should be a must read for government officials because they needed to be reminded of who is actually paying the price for their decision to go to war. Mr. Butler makes an interesting proposition - the decision to go to war should not be made by government officials who seldom have any personal stake in the decision they make, but it should reside with the population group that will have to bear arms in case of war - the young and able bodied.
I wonder what he would say about the wars that followed WWI, especially the wars in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. However, as a Korean-American whose father hails from North Korea (he made it down to South Korea during the Korean War), I am profoundly grateful for the American led UN intervention. And to be honest, I don't care if the decision to join the Korean War was based on greed orchestrated by Big Business, Wall Street, whatever entity that might have an ulterior motive.
A couple of years ago, at a 4th of July parade, I met a Korean vet and thanked him for his sacrifice. He was in the engineering corps and later worked for a Japanese company for a while. He visited Korea with his wife later on and was happy that his service meant something.
Although it seems like Iraq is imploding right now, I hope the Iraqi veterans will take heart that it, too, may be on the road to recovery and success like South Korea. You just need to give the country about 25+ years to see the first results.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history, conspiracy theories, and war/anti-war materials.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler
For more information, check out the link.
