War is a racket. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.
Smedley ButlerRead
I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long... Looking back on it, I feel I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three city districts. We Marines operated on three continents.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the moral implications of military actions for corporate interests.
Smedley Butler's quote critiques the military's role in supporting capitalist agendas, particularly emphasizing how U.S. interventions benefited powerful financial entities at the expense of sovereign nations. By comparing military operations to organized crime, Butler underscores the ethical dilemmas and consequences of such actions, implicitly calling for greater awareness and accountability in military engagements.
Themes
MilitaryCapitalismEthicsInterventionHistory
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a debate about military interventions and corporate interests.
More from Smedley Butler
All quotes →Out of war nations acquire additional territory, if they are victorious. They just take it. This newly acquired territory promptly is exploited by the few - the selfsame few who wrung dollars out of blood in the war. The general public shoulders the bill.
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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.
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A few profit - and the many pay. But there is a way to stop it. You can't end it by disarmament conferences. You can't eliminate it by peace parleys at Geneva. Well-meaning but impractical groups can't wipe it out by resolutions. It can be smashed effectively only by taking the profit out of war.
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It is dressed into speeches about patriotism, love of country...but the profits...skyrocket.
Smedley ButlerRead
We must take the profit out of war.
Smedley ButlerRead
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