Warrior's View
This book is a collection of a number of articles that expresses the author's issues with the way war is waged in America.
The author is Brigadier General Smedley Butler, a highly decorated Marine - two Medals of Honor and the Brevet Medal (a medal given to only around two dozen Marines honoring them for battle field promotions). He was a police commissioner for a short time. The general was nearly court-martialed for statements that were anti-Mussolini. General Butler revealed a threat to overthrow the American government during the 1930s. He died shortly after the start of World War II.
This book is the author's call for isolation and avoiding the foreign entanglements that our Founding Fathers' warned us about. He would probably agree with Eisenhower's warning about the military-industrial complex and the fear of the creation of a permanent state of war that we may be experiencing today.
This Marine served primarily in Asia and Latin America. He writes that he was the "muscle man" (or "enforcer") for American industry via their stooges in government. He lists the countries where he served and the industries that it benefited. General Butler advocates a form of isolationism and limited use of the military especially in overseas areas.
The author writes that the decision to go to war should be made by those that will pay the price--the American youth, not some duty avoiding politician or businessman. He adocates that American businesses should not be allowed to reap huge profits at the high cost of the America's youth. His suggested three steps to smash the war racket are:
1) must take the profit out of war
2) must permit the youth of the land who would bear arms
to decide whether or not there should be war
3) must limit our military forces to home defense purposes.
The book lays the claim that the American government entered World War I to ensure the Allies would be able to pay their massive war debts to American businesses. In one section, he urges a "Common Sense Neutrality" towards World War II. He describes the European activities as "smelly things in the pit of European back-alley politics." He warns about the European "age old practice of committing mass suicide." Arguing against the propaganda of Germany (or anyone else for that matter) invading America, he provides a short lesson on the logistical nightmare that an effort would require.
General Butler warned "if you let this country go into a European war, you will lose this democracy, don't forget it." His warning could be expanded today and warn us about our current international actions.
This is an important book to read and ponder!
too little too late
what is pathetic is that Gen. Butler did not come to this conclusion earlier in his military career, like during the start of WW1, the War to end all Wars, and so begin an anti-war campaign. Maybe the Americans and Germans that died under his orders would still be alive today. But even if he did, his career was first and lives were incidental. The hypocrisy is his after-the-fact repentance, if this is a repentance. The text is good logic, but falls short of what is needed to stop all war.
Prescient
I found that Butler's sentiment in this book is not exactly "anti-war" in the sense that he disagrees with war. He does not. Clearly there are circumstances in which he believes war is legitimate. The only sense in which he is "anti-war" is if you are talking about unnecessary wars that America fights only to further enrich the powerful and wealthy, or to use a contemporary euphemism, "protect the American way of life."
The reviewer who stated that this book is surprisingly anti-semitic needs to provide specific examples, as there are no identifiable anti-semitic statements made by the Butler. Only if you view as anti-semitic Butler's desire to do nothing about Hitler since he was not, at that time, a threat to the United States can you possibly come to the conclusion that this book contains those sentiments.
ANOTHER RARE GEM, IN THE PEOPLE'S INTEREST
This book is so brief that Mr. Steele practically reprints it in his review (see the first review on this page). He hits the highlights that I wanted to mention, but the lesson we all need to learn here is that...WAR IS A RACKET! Here's why: War benefits the elites and their agenda for expanded markets; the masses are NEVER told the REAL reason for the war (we only hear the lies-not endemic to the Iraq War, but to ALL US wars); the masses PAY for the war in taxes and lives. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost their lives, or had their lives ruined by war, over the years and NOT ONE benefit to them can be named! If you read Tocqueville and use your common sense you will realize that there is NEVER a reason (valid) for the US to go to war. IT'S ALL A RACKET, as explained in this pamphlet by Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler, a true American Patriot.
War is a Racket, General Smedley Butler
This is an interesting book that was initially written in 1936 by a Marine know as "The Fighting Quaker". It's still relevant today.
I learned of this through a Peace and Justice seminar given by a local college. The speakers were two IRAQ veterans who were essentially anti-war protesters. I was impressed with their passion.
(46 reviews)
