Smedley Butler :
"Like all the members of the military profession, I never had a thought of my own until I left the service. My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of higher-ups. This is typical with everyone in the military service."
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Politicians and Politics
Gift it
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=72937&author=Smedley Butler"e=%22Like+all+the+members+of+the+military+profession%2C+I+never+had+a+thought+of+my+own+until+I+left+the+service.+My+mental+faculties+remained+in+suspended+animation+while+I+obeyed+the+orders+of+higher-ups.+This+is+typical+with+everyone+in+the+military+service.%22%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F13525%2FSmedley+Butler_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=65461&author=Smedley Butler"e=War+like+any+other+racket%2C+pays+high+dividends+to+the+very+few.+The+cost+of+operations+is+always+transferred+to+the+people+who+do+not+profit.&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F13525%2FSmedley+Butler_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=72938&author=Smedley Butler"e=%22War+is+a+racket.+It+always+has+been.+It+is+possibly+the+oldest%2C+easily+the+most+profitable%2C+surely+the+most+vicious.+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.%22%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F13525%2FSmedley+Butler_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=72939&author=Smedley Butler"e=%22There+are+40%2C000%2C000+men+under+arms+in+the+world+today%2C+and+our+statesmen+and+diplomats+have+the+temerity+to+say+that+war+is+not+in+the+making.+Hell%27s+bells%21+Are+these+40%2C000%2C000+men+being+trained+to+be+dancers%3F%22%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F13525%2FSmedley+Butler_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=72940&author=Smedley Butler"e=%22A+few+profit+%E2%80%93+and+the+many+pay.+But+there+is+a+way+to+stop+it.+You+can%27t+end+it+by+disarmament+conferences.+You+can%27t+eliminate+it+by+peace+parleys+at+Geneva.+Well-meaning+but+impractical+groups+can%27t+wipe+it+out+by+resolutions.+It+can+be+smashed+effectively+only+by+taking+the+profit+out+of+war.%22%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F13525%2FSmedley+Butler_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=72941&author=Smedley Butler"e=%22I+spent+33+years+and+four+months+in+active+military+service+and+during+that+period+I+spent+most+of+my+time+as+a+high+class+muscle+man+for+Big+Business%2C+for+Wall+Street+and+the+bankers.+In+short%2C+I+was+a+racketeer%2C+a+gangster+for+capitalism.+I+helped+make+Mexico+and+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+benefit+of+Wall+Street.+I+helped+purify+Nicaragua+for+the+International+Banking+House+of+Brown+Brothers+in+1902%E2%80%931912.+I+brought+light+to+the+Dominican+Republic+for+the+American+sugar+interests+in+1916.+I+helped+make+Honduras+right+for+the+American+fruit+companies+in+1903.+In+China+in+1927+I+helped+see+to+it+that+Standard+Oil+went+on+its+way+unmolested.%22%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F13525%2FSmedley+Butler_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=72943&author=Smedley Butler"e=%22Looking+back+on+it%2C+I+feel+that+I+could+have+given+Al+Capone+a+few+hints.+The+best+he+could+do+was+to+operate+his+racket+in+three+districts.+I+operated+on+three+continents.%22%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F13525%2FSmedley+Butler_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=122951&author=Smedley Butler"e=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.&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F13525%2FSmedley+Butler_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=122952&author=Smedley Butler"e=There+are+only+two+things+we+should+fight+for.+One+is+the+defense+of+our+homes+and+the+other+is+the+Bill+of+Rights.&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F13525%2FSmedley+Butler_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=122953&author=Smedley Butler"e=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&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F13525%2FSmedley+Butler_64x64.png){kind=link}