MUST SEE MEMORIAL DAY VIDEO: "War is a Racket" by Marine Corp Major General Smedley Butler

[imagine2015]

Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881 – June 21, 1940) was a United States Marine Corps major general, the highest rank authorized at that time, and at the time of his death the most decorated Marine in U.S. history.

During his 34-year career as a Marine, he participated in military actions in the Philippines, China, in Central America and the Caribbean during the Banana Wars, and France in World War I. Butler is well known for having later become an outspoken critic of U.S. wars and their consequences, as well as exposing the Business Plot, an alleged plan to overthrow the U.S. government.

By the end of his career, Butler had received 16 medals, five for heroism. He is one of 19 men to receive the Medal of Honor twice, one of three to be awarded both the Marine Corps Brevet Medal and the Medal of Honor, and the only Marine to be awarded the Brevet Medal and two Medals of Honor, all for separate actions.

In 1935, Butler wrote a book entitled War Is a Racket

This is a dramatic reading of his powerful "War is a Racket" speech given before the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 1935.

Major General Smedley Butler

[immoderate]

1. Smedley!

--imm

[brush]

2. A real hero. He's also the one who exposed the coup attempt against FDR . . .

Last edited Mon May 30, 2016, 05:12 PM - Edit history (1)

by the American Liberty League in the 1930s.

Prescott Bush, the Dupont brothers and Alfred Sloan are just a few of the wealthy involved in the plot.

[99th_Monkey]

4. This attempted coup by ALL is one of the most untold stories of all time

I imagine the fact that Prescott Bush, Dupont, et.al. were among the conspirators explains that.

[brush]

13. Yes. FDR turned the tables on them by threatening to expose their treason, and that's . . .

what it was — plotting to take up arms against the US — if they didn't back off of opposing his New Deal programs.

They did, as they could have been publicly shamed, and possibly executed.

[99th_Monkey]

15. I'm surprised the story hasn't become an HBO or Netflix dramatization.

or maybe I'm not surprised.

... that would cut pretty close to the bone with the Bush Crime Family.

[brush]

17. That's exactly what I was going to say. The Bush crime family.

[sorefeet]

3. I think we need a modern day Smedley

right now, because I think there are people in this election trying to pull a coup. Like Trump and the wing nuts.

[gordianot]

10. I think Smedley would have been at a loss in 2016.

Our potential leaders are not inspiring Butler did not like the rackets.

[FairWinds]

5. Veterans For Peace are very big Smedley fans . .

Our great Boston Chapter is called

The Smedley Butler Brigade

BTW, the Vets For Peace "Full Disclosure" has a great
new issue out now that corrects many of the outrageous lies
being re-written into the history of the Vietnam War.

http://www.veteransforpeace.org/our-work/vfp-national-projects/vietnam-full-disclosure-campaign/

PAX

[imagine2015]

6. Thanks for the info!

[imagine2015]

12. Thank you for the link. I will check it out a little later.

[gordianot]

8. +100! Greatest Soldier of all time.

For those who claim to be a patriot this man was a patriot.

[annabanana]

9. Everyone needs to know his story.

It is missing from the textbooks, but it needs to be in the narrative. So I copy, email, tweet and facebook it whenever and wherever it surfaces.

[Monk06]

11. Saved for posterity I got called an American hating troll on a thread about NATO romancing

Romania and the Ukraine I repeated Maj Gen Butler's sentaments in this speach

I was called anti Military and and American hater, troll, disruptor you name it

If I hadn't checked my address bar I would have swore I was being piled on at FreeRepublic

I love Butler Probably the only truly honest man in the English speaking world

He was also famously approached by the Duponts and several other rich industrialists to head a coup against Roosevelt in 1933

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Plot

Among some on DU, I suspect Freeper Trolls, repeating the history of US imperialism in the nineteenth century and during the cold war makes you and American Hater

[LiberalElite]

14. I learned about Smedley Butler from the late, great Al Lewis

when he had a program on Pacifica station WBAI in NYC. Funny what doesn't get taught in school...

[polly7]

16. Kick and recommend for a great man. nt.

[imagine2015]

18. For DU'ers who didn't see this on memorial day.

[sorefeet]

19. Good idea imagins2015

I still think we need another Smedley or two before the election.