Fighting Wars For Corporate Profit

If you listen to what American leaders throughout our history have said, all the wars fought by Americans around the world were for self-defense, freedom, or justice. Sadly, that is not even close to being true. All too often this country has been willing to spend the lives of young Americans just to insure corporate profits. That is even true today, because in spite of the fact that nothing has been accomplished that makes this country any safer by invading Iraq and Afghanistan, many corporations have made huge profits off of both wars (Halliburton, KBR, Blackwater, etc.).

If you don't believe me, listen to these words from a retired Marine Major General:


"I 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, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, 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 1902-1912. 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. Looking back on it, I might 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."  


Major General Smedley Darlington Butler (USMC), from his book War Is a Racket (1935)