War Is a Racket (Warbler Classics Annotated Edition)

The antiwar classic by one of the most decorated Marines in United States history.

Known as “the Maverick Marine” and “Fighting Hell-Devil,” Brigadier General Smedley Darlington Butler was the most decorated U.S. Marine Corps officer in U.S. military history. Butler’s 1935 lecture “War is a Racket” presents several key arguments against war and its profiteering nature. Among his points, Butler argues that wars are conducted for the benefit of a small group of insiders while the majority bear the costs, and that debt from wars is always paid by future generations. He recommends measures that, in his view, would mitigate armed conflict, including limiting the wages of executives, bankers, and arms manufacturers during wartime to match soldiers’ pay. He forcefully contends that warfare is a profit-driven enterprise that exploits patriotism for financial gain.

This Warbler Classics edition includes two other seminal anti-war essays: “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau and “The Moral Equivalent of War” by William James, as well as brief biographical notes on Brigadier General Smedley Darlington Butler, Henry David Thoreau, and William James.

Smedley Darlington Butler (1881–1940) was a U.S. marine who served in numerous conflicts, including the Philippine-American War, the Boxer Rebellion, and World War I. He received two Medals of Honor, the Marine Corps Brevet Medal, and numerous other awards for his distinguished service. After retiring in 1931, Butler became a vocal critic of war and U.S. foreign policy, famously declaring that “war is a racket.” He spent his later years as an anti-war activist, advocating against militarism and imperialism until his death.

Smedley Darlington Butler (1881-1940) was a U.S. marine who served in numerous conflicts, including the Philippine-American War, the Boxer Rebellion, and World War I. He received two Medals of Honor, the Marine Corps Brevet Medal, and numerous other awards for his distinguished service. After retiring in 1931, Butler became a vocal critic of war and U.S. foreign policy, famously declaring that "war is a racket." He spent his later years as an anti-war activist, advocating against militarism and imperialism until his death.