“War is a Racket” is a short book written by General Smedley D. Butler in the later 1930s before WW2. It is just as true today as it was then. There is no politics involved here.
Profit needs to be taken out of war first and foremost. It isn’t normal for people in certain industries (not just the military industrial complex today) to make huge profits and enjoy the luxuries, while young men and women suffer and die in a war with nothing to possibly gain besides a small pension and some medals. Besides the mental and physical injuries, there is horrible destruction that it brings to the citizens and society and the environment.
Craziest thing is that the taxpayers pay for all of it too!
The racket could be smashed starting with the following steps:
- People that could fight in the war vote if there will be war.
- Everyone gets a soldier’s pension, no matter if you are a soldier, car or airplane manufacturer, resource baron, financier, or from any other industry that profits from it.
- Lastly, military forces must be strictly limited to home defense only.
This short 35 page book is straight to the point and written in layman terms. Everyone needs to read it no matter how much they think they now! I couldn't imagine anyone arguing against what is written in there. A lot more considerations and explanations that I did not get into are in the book.
TO HELL WITH WAR!