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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.

Smedley Butler

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Smedley Butler
Age: 58 †
Born: 1881
Born: July 30
Died: 1940
Died: June 21
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Smedley Darlington Butler
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More quotes by Smedley Butler

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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
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I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, 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, a gangster for capitalism.
Smedley Butler
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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.
Smedley Butler
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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 Butler
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One hundred and twenty Marines were detailed to officer a force of twenty-six hundred Haitians.
Smedley Butler
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Why don't those damn oil companies fly their own flags on their personal property-maybe a flag with a gas pump on it.
Smedley Butler
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No one told these American soldiers they might be shot down by bullets made by their own brothers here. No one told them that the ships on which they were going to cross might be torpedoed by submarines built with US patents.
Smedley Butler
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Only those who would be called upon to risk their lives for their country should have the privilege of voting to determine whether the nation should go to war.
Smedley Butler
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War like any other racket, pays high dividends to the very few. The cost of operations is always transferred to the people who do not profit.
Smedley Butler
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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.
Smedley Butler
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...The war (WWI) cost your Uncle Sam $52 billion. $39 billion was expended in the actual war period. This expenditure yielded $16 billion in profits.
Smedley Butler
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I had a swell racket. I was rewarded with honors, medals, promotions. l might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate a racket in three city districts. The Marines operated on three continents.
Smedley Butler