- 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.
-
- I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing
else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fight. The trouble
with America is that when the dollar only earns six percent over here,
then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag
follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag.
-
- I wouldn't go to war again as I have done to protect
some lousy investment of the bankers. There are only two things we should
fight for. One is the defense of our homes, and the other is the Bill of
Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket.
-
- There isn't a trick in the racketeering bag that the
military gang is blind to. It has its "finger men" to point out
enemies, its "muscle men" to destroy enemies, its "brain
men" to plan war preparations, and a "Big Boss" Super-Nationalistic-Capitalism.
-
- It may seem off for me, a military man, to adopt such
a comparison. Truthfulness compels me to. I spent thirty-three years and
four months in active military service as a member of this country's most
agile military force, the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks
from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, I spent
most of my time being a high-class muscle-man for Big Business, for Wall
Street, and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for
capitalism.
-
- I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time.
Now I am sure of it. 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.
-
- (Speech originally-delivered in 1933)
|
