War is a Racket

The Book in 1 Sentence

Proof in the pudding that it is the poor that go to War while the rich get richer, from the perspective of post-war WWI activities.

Brief Review

This is a short book that talks about ways that Corporations made money from the blood of Americans that went to war in WWI. Gen. Butler talks about the swindling and racketeering that happened out of the Americans so that others could make even more money, all while trying to find ways to protect his men in the future.

Why I Read this book

Gen. Butler is the most decorated Marine of all time.

In-Depth Review (Favorite Quotes)

I can remember during Boot Camp getting paid crap and then having to go to the MCX to buy t-shirts, socks, and whatever. Then I came to look at my paystubs at the end and see that I was charged for the uniform. They require us to wear a specific item and then charge us for it. This isn't much different than what General Butler talks about when they forced service members to buy Bonds at $100 and then had to sell them back to the bank at $84. The only difference is that they didn't make $100 for months.

Then you take this and turn around and look at the businesses that make things for the war and you realize pretty quickly that it is a scam. A racket. Unfortunately for me, this isn't news. I am well aware of Dupont making billions on the blood of people laying their lives for capitalism. I am also aware of them poisoning the very people who help them to make money as seen in Dark Waters. Some of that is for sure the existence of fraud, waste, and abuse of a system/time. In the book, Gen. Butler talks about mosquito netting that was sold, but was never even shipped to service members, boots made by the thousands, when his Marines had 1 pair of boots for the entire campaign.

There was one point in the book where he talks about how the country should decide if they are going to war, and that came from the people of age to go to war or could hold a rifle. I have thought about this before and tried to find a way that going to war could actually be an informed decision for the country and not by 86+ year old individuals who haven't done anything buy slept at a desk for years. I know there is a way that it would be exploited too, but I do think that his idea of war profits having to go to the service members and their families. That is something that could be worked out.

Rating

This was a short book. Basically a white paper. After "The war to end all wars" ended and the writing on the wall for another war coming, the pain that this man experience and dealt lead him to see War in a whole new way. I can understand that for sure. There are some many things that need fixing in this world, so many things that are just getting worse, and most of it from stupid and/or egotistical leaders who feel entitled to the position they have, rather than having had earned it. For such a short book, it is an important one. This is a 9.

Want to get a hold of me?
Email | [email protected]

None of the link provided are sponsored or affiliate links, unless otherwise notated.