"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."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Military leaders from the United StatesAnti-war activistsSocial activistsMedal of Honor recipientsUnited States Marines
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
From a speech (1933)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Smedley Butler
14 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Smedley Butler →
Related Quotes
"As commanding officer of detachments from the 5th, 13th, 23d Companies and the marine and sailor detachment from the …"
"I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fig…"
"I wouldn't go to war again as I have done to protect some lousy investment of the bankers. There are only two things …"
"My interest is, my one hobby is, maintaining a democracy. If you get these 500,000 soldiers advocating anything smell…"
"I spent 33 years and 4 months In active service as a member of our country's most agile military force – the Marine C…"
"How many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle? How many of them dug a trench? How many of them knew what it m…"
"There are 40,000,000 men under arms in the world today, and our statesmen and diplomats have the temerity to say that…"
"But what does it profit the masses? What does it profit the men who are killed? What does it profit the men who are m…"
"Of course, it isn't put that crudely in war time. It is dressed into speeches about patriotism, love of country, and …"
"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'…"