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https://youtu.be/LZ9rpL1vTgE?si=229PafPbCrxpBx0p
War is a Racket <
https://www.heritage-history.com/site/hclass/secret_societies/ebooks/pdf/butler_racket.pdf<
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War is a Racket : Feral House
"War is a Racket" (1935) by Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler is a scathing critique arguing that war is a for-profit enterprise benefiting a small insider group of industrialists, bankers, and speculators, while the public pays with blood and money. It outlines how corporations profit from conflict and proposes solutions to dismantle this system. <
Key Outline Components
Definition of the Racket: War is characterized as a racket because it is conducted for the benefit of the very few (the "inside ring") at the expense of the many (the average citizen).
Profiteering Examples: Butler, previously one of the most decorated Marines, highlights World War I, detailing how companies (e.g., steel, munitions, airplane manufacturers) earned immense profits while soldiers died.
The Cost: The "many" pay through taxes, national debt, and human loss, while the "few" (munitions makers, bankers) accumulate fortunes.
Three Steps to Smash the Racket:
Conscription of Capital: Before drafting men, conscript capital, industry, and labor to eliminate profit.
Soldier/Executive Pay Parity: Ensure that those who profit from war (directors, executives) receive the same $30 monthly wage as soldiers in the trenches.
Limited Referendum: Limit the decision to go to war to those who will actually fight, allowing a vote only by citizens of military age/condition.
Limiting the Military: Proposes restricting the military to defending the coast and borders only, removing the ability to fight foreign wars of aggression.
The work concludes by arguing for a, "To hell with war!" sentiment, advocating for a strictly defensive, non-imperialist foreign policy.
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