15 Smedley Butler Quotes for You to Enjoy

Smedley Butler

American Soldier

Born: Jul 30, 1881

Died: Jun 21, 1940

Believe Business Few Lieutenant Must War

Related authors: Chesty Puller Douglas MacArthur George S. Patton John Paul Jones Norman Schwarzkopf Robert E. Lee William H. McRaven William Tecumseh Sherman

War is a racket. It always has been... 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. Smedley Butler

War You Peace Few Pay Profit Way Out Has-Been Only Wipe Taking Disarmament Smashed Geneva Well-Meaning Always Been Impractical Effectively End Conferences Stop Racket Many Groups Eliminate Resolutions

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. Smedley Butler

Trouble Soldiers Follow Restless Follows Percent Only Over Dollar Overseas America Get Flag Goes Gets Then Here

I served in all commissioned ranks from a second Lieutenant to a Major General. And during that time, 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 for capitalism. Smedley Butler

Time Capitalism Man Business Big Spent Ranks Lieutenant General My Time Major Most Big Business Wall Wall Street Commissioned Short Bankers Being Served Street Second Muscle

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. Smedley Butler

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. Smedley Butler

National Collect City Haiti Safe Make Cuba Boy Revenues Mexico American Bank Decent Oil Place Interests Helped

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. Smedley Butler

War is just a racket... I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. Smedley Butler

War Nothing Believe Defense Else Adequate Just Racket Coastline

We must take the profit out of war. Smedley Butler

War Profit Out Must Take

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. Smedley Butler

Business Sometimes Matter Sky Three Hundred States Per Percent Ten Concern Another Limit Normal Six Eight Sixty Eighteen Cent Twelve Even Twenty United United States Profits

I spent thirty-three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country's most agile military force, the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. Smedley Butler

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