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TGIF: Smedley Butler and the Racket That Is War

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From 1898 to 1931, Smedley Darlington Butler was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. By the time he retired he had achieved what was then the corps’s highest rank, major general, and by the time he died in 1940, at 58, he had more decorations, including two medals of honor, than any other Marine. During his years in the corps he was sent to the Philippines (at the time of the uprising against the American occupation), China, France (during World War I), Mexico, Central America, and Haiti. In light of this record Butler presumably shocked a good many people when in 1935 — as a  second world war was looming — he wrote in the magazine Common Sense: 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 ...

A Perfect Racket

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As the continuing debate about the NSA’s massive surveillance scheme continues, let’s not forget the justification that the NSA relies on to justify its scheme. The NSA says that its scheme is necessary to protect the United States from “terrorists.” Why is it important that we keep that in mind? Because it’s the U.S. government that is the cause of the anti-American terrorism that the NSA uses to justify its surveillance scheme. The heart of the issue is the question that has been staring us in the face ever since 9/11: Why do they hate us? That is, why do people in foreign lands hate Americans so much that they’re willing to initiate violent acts against them? Immediately after the 9/11 attacks, U.S. officials provided their answer to that question: They said that foreigners hate Americans for our “freedom and values.” That’s ridiculous. Actually, foreigners have long admired Americans for their freedom and values. What they hate is what the U.S. government has been ...

Blood, Treasure and Soul: The Exorbitant Price of the American Empire

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It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when it happened, but clear evidence can be seen at least in the aftermath of World War II. Some trace the origins back to 1898 and the Spanish-American War, or even earlier to the War of 1812. And still others would say that imperial ambitions were even on the minds of some of the Founding Fathers. Regardless, there can be no doubt that today the United States of America is an empire. It is probably safe to assume that most Americans do not think of their country as an empire. As a conservative in my younger years, I might have even labeled the suggestion as anti-American, rationalizing to myself: Sure, we may have strategic military bases around the world and we may use force at times, but it is only for benevolent purposes. We get the bad guys, give the country back to the good guys, and we leave. The US does not try ...

The Practicality of Libertarianism

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People sometimes accuse libertarians of being impractical. That befuddles me because libertarianism is the only practical philosophy there is. Why is that? Because libertarianism works. The only philosophies don’t. Consider immigration. People say: “You libertarians are so impractical with your call for open borders.” Yet, what could be more practical than a policy that brings about peace, prosperity, and harmony? Look at ...