War is a racket. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.
Interpretation
War benefits a select few while causing immense suffering to many.
Smedley Butler's quote suggests that war is fundamentally a corrupt and profit-driven enterprise, benefitting those who orchestrate it while resulting in devastating losses for the common people, particularly in terms of human lives. The phrase 'war is a racket' implies that the motivations behind warfare are often financial, serving the interests of a few rather than the welfare of society as a whole.
In practice
This quote could be used in a speech about the ethical implications of military spending.
Out of war nations acquire additional territory, if they are victorious. They just take it. This newly acquired territory promptly is exploited by the few - the selfsame few who wrung dollars out of blood in the war. The general public shoulders the bill.
The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 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 helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long... Looking back on it, I feel I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three city districts. We Marines operated on three continents.
A few profit - and the many pay. But there is a way to stop it. You can't end it by disarmament conferences. You can't eliminate it by peace parleys at Geneva. Well-meaning but impractical groups can't wipe it out by resolutions. It can be smashed effectively only by taking the profit out of war.
It is dressed into speeches about patriotism, love of country...but the profits...skyrocket.
We must take the profit out of war.
As far as income goes, there are three currencies in the world; most people ignore two. The three currencies are time, income and mobility, in descending order of importance. Most people focus exclusively on income.
Now the ears of my ears awake and now the eyes of my eyes are opened.
The Negro has been here in America since 1619, a total of 344 years. He is not going anywhere else; this country is his home. He wants to do his part to help make his city, state, and nation a better place for everyone, regardless of color and race.
To me, the zombies have always just been zombies. They've always been a cigar. When I first made 'Night of the Living Dead,' it got analyzed and overanalyzed way out of proportion. The zombies were written about as if they represented Nixon's Silent Majority or whatever. But I never thought about it that way.
I think women are very complicated human beings, and I think there's an oversimplification of women when you see them on screen.
The great thing about being the only species that makes a distinction between right and wrong is that we can make up the rules for ourselves as we go along.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.