TRUE CONFESSIONS: U.S. WARS AND BIG BUSINESS

     Wars always have something messianic about them. Even during the American Civil War that ripped the United States apart, the canons of artillery were named after saints, like St. Peter, St. John, etc. In U.S. overseas interventions, it's either to save other peoples from their own butchering tyrants, or to civilize and teach others how to govern in the ways of American democracy. Let us reflect on the true confessions of a principal hit man for U.S. Big Business: Mr. Smedley Butler.

   
     Smedley Butler is perhaps the most decorated Major General in Marine Corps history, having been awarded two Congressional Medals of Honor. He got these awards because in the early part of the 20th century, he fought and killed for U.S. big business in many parts of the world.  

     Later, he wrote a book with the title, WAR IS A RACKET in which he confessed:

“I was a high class muscleman for Big Business, for Wall Street and for
the Bankers,” Butler said. “In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for
capitalism.”

     In 1933, he admitted in a speech:

“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 benefit 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.”

     We can now add Afghanistan and Iraq to Butler's list. Can anyone challenge the words coming from the horse's mouth?

      We can really make the world truly Merry and Happy if we put a stop to all wars and pursue preventive policies that address the causes of war. Unless this is done, PEACE AND GOODWILL will remain pipedreams for humanity.

     On behalf of the cyberstaff of Yonip.com, we wish everyone PEACE and GOODWILL, even as an aspiration. Thank you for all your support and may we look forward to attaining the elusive peace in the coming year.

* Article by Roland G Simbulan - For a full professional background of Professor Roland G. Simbulan (Click Here)