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Smedley Butler

Smedley Butler Quotes

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Famous Smedley Butler Quotes

“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.”

WarSometimesMatterStatesThreeUnitedUnited StatesSkyTenLimitsNormalSixPercentHundredConcernTwentiesProfitEightTwelveCentsSixtyEighteenRacketSky Is The LimitWar Time
Book:War is a Racket!: And Other Essential Reading
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“War Is A Racket : I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Now I am sure of it. Like all members of the military profession I never had an original thought until I left the service. My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of the higher- ups. This is typical with everyone in the military service”

WarOrderLeftMilitaryHigherMembersOriginalsProfessionFacultyAntiwarTypicalAnimationSuspendedRacketMilitary ServiceOriginal Thought
Author:Smedley Butler
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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.”

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Author: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. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. 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.”

WayLongLightHouseInterestCitiesHalfBoysRecordsStreetsBrotherWallSafeBenefitsStandardsInternationalChinaOilDecentBrownRepublicSugarDozenMexicoBankingRevenueCubaHaitiRacketNicaraguaDominican RepublicStandard Oil
Author:Smedley Butler
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