“War Is a Racket” is a speech done by the most famous US Marine, General Smedley Butler after he retired from service. He gave a speech like this all over the United States from 1935 to 1937. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, twice!

I am now delivering this speech as Smedley Butler!

It is great stuff.

“War Is A Racket”, Major General Smedley Butler

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 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. Read the rest of this entry