In War is a Racket, Major General Smedley D. Butler—a highly decorated U.S. Marine—delivered one of the most scathing critiques of war ever written by a military insider. What makes his message so powerful isn’t just his credentials; it’s the brutal honesty. He pulled back the curtain on how war, far from being a noble pursuit, often serves as a money-making machine for a select few at the top—at the cost of countless lives at the bottom.

Butler’s words ring just as true today as they did in 1935. He argued that wars are rarely fought for freedom or democracy—but for profits. Corporations reap the benefits, while soldiers and civilians pay the price. The cycle of conflict, he said, is driven by greed disguised as patriotism.

In a world where defense budgets skyrocket and private contractors profit from endless foreign entanglements, Butler's message is a wake-up call. His conclusion? The only way to truly end the racket is to take the profit out of war.

If you haven’t read this short but powerful book, it’s worth your time. It might change the way you see every headline involving troops, weapons, or intervention.

#WarIsARacket