War is a Racket as is Civil Unrest

REPLY: While the Democrats embrace alien criminals just because Trump wants to deport them, in Europe, it is NATO and the EU which does everything to undermine Trump and any possible peace in Ukraine. This all brings to mind Smedley D. Butler’s “War Is a Racket” which captures the essence, power, and enduring relevance of war and also civil unrest when it always comes down to money. Butler’s brutally honest book was written in 1935 by one of the most decorated Marines in U.S. history. After a 34-year career fighting in nearly every major U.S. conflict from the Spanish-American War through the “Banana Wars,” Butler reached a shocking conclusion.

Butler came to see that war is not primarily fought for democracy, freedom, or national defense. Instead, it is a carefully orchestrated “racket” – a criminal enterprise designed to generate enormous profits for a select few at the expense of the many. Butler’s critique carried immense weight precisely because of who he was. As a Major General, two-time Medal of Honor recipient, and commander of major expeditions, he had seen the inner workings of war from the highest levels. He couldn’t be dismissed as a naive pacifist.

The “Racket” had three phases, which he identified as:

1. Lobbying for War: Powerful business interests (bankers, arms manufacturers, industrialists, resource extractors) pressure governments into conflicts that will protect or expand their markets and investments overseas.
2. Profiteering During War: The same interests make obscene profits selling weapons, munitions, ships, loans, and supplies to the government (funded by taxpayer dollars). Soldiers pay with their lives; civilians pay with blood, suffering, and taxes.
3. Profiteering After War: These interests often control the post-war settlement, securing lucrative concessions, resource rights, and loan arrangements from defeated nations (reparations), further enriching themselves while saddling populations with debt.The Costs are Borne by Others: The young men who fight and die, the families who lose loved ones, the taxpayers who foot the astronomical bill, and the societies left shattered bear all the real costs. The profits are privatized; the losses are socialized.

Butler pulls no punches, as they say. His language is direct, vivid, and often scathing. He uses stark figures to expose the grotesque disparity between war profits and human cost. (“Out of war nations acquire additional territory… the newly acquired territory promptly is exploited by the few – the self-same few who wrung dollars out of blood in the war.”)

Butler’s first-hand experience draws powerful examples from his own service in Cuba, the Philippines, China, Central America, and the Caribbean, showing how U.S. interventions directly benefited specific corporations (e.g., United Fruit, sugar interests, banks).

The critique of the Military-Industrial Complex (a term Eisenhower popularized later) is central. The dynamics Butler described – corporate influence on foreign policy, war profiteering, the manipulation of patriotism, the human cost vs. private gain – remain potent issues. They still dominate this proxy war against Russia, as Boris Johnson openly stated that Britain is at war with Russia.

Naturally, anyone who speaks the truth will have critics who argue for the continued carnage and bloodshed. Critics of Butler argue that he reduces complex geopolitical events to solely economic motives. While he powerfully exposes a crucial driver often overlooked, factors such as ideology, nationalism, genuine security threats, and diplomatic failures also play significant roles in wars. There is always an economic element. When everyone is fat and happy, there is no war.

Butler’s proposed solution was that the only way to stop the racket was to make war unprofitable. When young men are conscripted to die, wealth should be conscripted to pay for the war. Limit wartime profits to a small, fixed percentage. He also argued for restricting military deployment. Only allow the military to defend U.S. soil. No more expeditions to protect corporate investments abroad. “Take the profit out of war.”

Only those registered for frontline service should be allowed to vote on whether to go to war. Not those who profit from war.

It remains a foundational text for understanding the critique of the Military-Industrial Complex, corporate influence on foreign policy, and the inherent injustice of war profiteering. It forces readers to question the official narratives of war and consider the powerful economic interests that often lurk beneath the surface. While perhaps not the only factor in wars, Butler highlights a factor that is frequently overlooked or downplayed. Mainstream media beats the war drums, and they too profit from sensationalizing war to get readership. The Spanish-American War was created by Pulitzer and Hearst competing for readership, creating biased yellow journalism.

In short, “War Is a Racket” is a short, essential, and provocative read. It’s a powerful dose of uncomfortable truth from a man who knew war intimately. Its message is as relevant and disturbing today as it was in 1935. It’s less a book to agree with on every point, and more one to grapple with and be challenged by.