Here are some quotes from General Smedley Butler of Pennsylvania. At the time of his death in 1940 he was the most highly decorated U.S. Marine in history. Keep in mind that this is pre-WW2. Nowadays the central banks try to be a little more discreet by first sending in the CIA to destabilize a country, using a "color revolution" to effect a coup; if that doesn't work, send in the Marines.

"I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high class muscle-man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism."

"War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of 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 masses."

"I helped make Mexico, 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 benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested."

"The normal profits of a business concern in the United States are six, eight, ten, and sometimes twelve percent. But war-time profits - ah! that is another matter - twenty, sixty, one hundred, three hundred, and even eighteen hundred per cent - the sky is the limit."

"If only more of today's military personnel would realize that they are being used by the owning elite's as a publicly subsidized capitalist goon squad."


"I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fight. The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag."

I don't disagree with him. Especially about the defending our borders / coastline part. We've got enough armed citizens that if an army ever DID try to invade the USA, they'd be fighting the military and half the country.

However, I do believe a forward presence is prudent. IF someone starts sh*t with us, it is beneficial to have the weaponry in place for a swift, severe retaliation.

It's a good short read. The book is really a pamphlet, but he gets his point across.

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+1

Agreed.
Keep in mind he wrote this pre nuclear weaponry, etc.
Nowadays, a formidable “forward presence” is sort of mandatory.

Very profound article.
Thanks for sharing.

The "Cost of War": Interview w/ a former U.S. Marine that served 3 tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He fought in the 2nd battle of Fallujah, Iraq. 2004.

Some sad and horrifying stories. Idk how else to explain this interview, other than it's deep and I feel for the guy. He is now homeless and living on Skid Row.

This interview doesn't mention politics at all.

There's a massive number of programs for military veterans to get off the streets. Gotta stay clean and sober, though...