I spent 33 years and four months in active military service[1] 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[2] and especially Tampico[3] safe for American oil interests[4] in 1914. I helped make Haiti[5] and Cuba[6] a decent place for the National City Bank[7] boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics[8] for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua[9] for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers[10] in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic[11] for the American sugar interests[12] in 1916. I helped make Honduras[13] right for the American fruit companies[14] in 1903. In China[15] in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil[16] 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. ~ Maj. Gen. Smedley D. Butler, USMC (Ret.) (1881–1940). Common Sense] (magazine) 1935 Notes for you to Google and learn more... [1] Butlers military career 1898-1931 [2] Mexican Revolution 1910–1920 [3] Tampico Affair 1914 [4] Standard Oil Company operated its Mexican Golden Belt monopoly from Tampico. [5] US military occupation of Haiti 1915–1934 [6] Spanish–American War 1898 and First Occupation of Cuba 1898–1902 [7] National City Corp. now PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. [8] Banana Wars 1898–1934 [9] US military ntervention in the Nicaragua 1909–1912, followed by the United States occupation of Nicaragua 1912–1933 [10] Brown Bros. & Co. now Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. [11] American occupation of the Dominican Republic 1916–1924 [12] American Sugar Refining Company, now American Sugar Refining, Inc. [13] US military intervention in Honduras 1903 [14] United Fruit Company, now Chiquita Brands International Inc. and Standard Fruit Company, now Dole Food Company, Inc. [15] USMC expeditionary force stationed in the Shanghai International Settlement 1927–1941. Better known as China Marines [16] Standard Oil Co. Inc. now Exxon Mobil Corp. Chevron Corporation, British Petroleum plc. (BP), Tesoro Corporation, Sunoco Inc. Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Buckeye Partners, L.P. and Unilever N.V.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 19:54:33 +0000
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