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KamranatUCLA (29.75)

Honor our Veterans and Soldiers and damn our wars!

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November 12, 2009 – Comments (13) | RELATED TICKERS: ACI , BLTI

WAR IS A RACKET

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"War is a racket." Those are not our words. Those are the words of Marine Major General Smedley D. Butler - USMC Retired. One of only nineteen people who received the Medal of Honor TWICE.

Much of what he believed and wrote is as true today as it was in the 1930's [BEFORE WORLD WAR II] when he wrote his book. You be the judge....

"A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only  a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.""The normal profits of a business concern in the United States are six, eight, ten, and sometimes twelve percent. But war-time profits - ah! that is another matter - twenty, sixty, one hundred, three hundred, and even eighteen hungred per cent - the sky  is the limit...Uncle Sam has the money. Let's get it.""...manufacturers wanted to make sure that no soldier would be without his mosquito net, so 40,000,000 additional yards of mosquito netting were sold to Uncle Sam.

 

"There were pretty good profits in mosquito netting in those days, even if there were no mosquitoes in France." UL.list_generic_star2 { PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 5px 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; LIST-STYLE-TYPE: none } UL.list_generic_star2 LI.list_generic_star2 { PADDING-LEFT: 22px; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: url(http://assets.webservices.websitepros.com/builder/layouts/assets/lists/generic/images/genericBullet_star2.png) no-repeat; MARGIN: 5px 0px; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5em; PADDING-TOP: 2px; LIST-STYLE-TYPE: none }
"There is only one way to disarm with any semblance of practicability. That is for all nations to get together and scrap every ship, every gun, every rifle, every tank, every war plane. Even this, if it were possible, would not be enough."

 

"The professional soldiers and sailors don't want to disarm. No admiral wants to be without a ship. No general wants to be without a command. Both mean men without jobs. They are not for disarmament. They cannot be for limitations of arms. And at all these conferences, lurking in the background but all-powerful, just the same, are the sinister agents of those who profit by war. They see to it that these conferences do not disarm or seriously limit armaments." UL.list_generic_star2 { PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 5px 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; LIST-STYLE-TYPE: none } UL.list_generic_star2 LI.list_generic_star2 { PADDING-LEFT: 22px; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: url(http://assets.webservices.websitepros.com/builder/layouts/assets/lists/generic/images/genericBullet_star2.png) no-repeat; MARGIN: 5px 0px; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5em; PADDING-TOP: 2px; LIST-STYLE-TYPE: none }
"But the soldier pays the biggest part of the bill. If you don't believe this, visit the American cemeteries on the battlefields abroad. Or visit any of the veteran's hospitals in the United States.""Boys with a normal viewpoint were taken out of the fields and offices and factories and classrooms and put into the ranks. There they were remolded: they were made over; they were made to "about face"' to regard murder as the order of the day.

 

"Then, suddenly, we discharged them and told them to make another "about face"! This time they had to do their own readjustment, sans [without] mass psychology, sans officers' aid and advice and sans nation-wide propaganda. We didn't need them any more. So we scattered them about without any "three-minute" or "Liberty Loan" speeches or parades. Many, too many, of these fine young boys are eventually destroyed, mentally, because they could not make that final "about face" alone." UL.list_generic_star2 { PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 5px 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; LIST-STYLE-TYPE: none } UL.list_generic_star2 LI.list_generic_star2 { PADDING-LEFT: 22px; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: url(http://assets.webservices.websitepros.com/builder/layouts/assets/lists/generic/images/genericBullet_star2.png) no-repeat; MARGIN: 5px 0px; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5em; PADDING-TOP: 2px; LIST-STYLE-TYPE: none }
"When our boys were sent off to war they were told it was a "war to make the world safe for democracy" and a "war to end all wars."...Well, eighteen years after [1935], the world has less of democracy than it had then. Besides, what business is it of ours whether Russia or Germany or England or France or Italy or Austria live under democracies or monarchies? Whether they are Fascists or Communists? Our problem is to preserve our own democracy.""To summarize: Three steps must be taken to smash the war racket.""We must take the profit out of war.""We must permit the youth of the land who would bear arms to decide whether or not there should be war."

 

"We must limit our military forces to home defense purposes."

13 Comments – Post Your Own

#1) On November 12, 2009 at 10:16 AM, XtremeNeoCon (< 20) wrote:

Hello Rosi? Is that you?

This blog is trash. Pure hollywood fantasy and hopeless ignorance. A total waste of time. 

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#2) On November 12, 2009 at 10:25 AM, whereaminow (94.04) wrote:

XtremeNeoCon,

Being ignorant is no excuse, especially with a name that only William Buckley could admire.  This blog deserves about 10 minus rec's for terrible formatting, but the substance is accurate.

Smedley Butler was one of the first names I learned when I went to Marine Corps Boot Camp.  He is perhaps the most decorated and brave fighting man to ever wear an American uniform.  I will place his expertise on military matters right up there with any neocon chicken hawk, even the Courageous and Daring Paul Wolfowitz!

Butler's book War is a Racket sits on my bookshelf.  You could replace the country names in that book with Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo and it would read just as true today as it did back then.

The only fantasy is the one that claims the world can be saved through American empire, a Left Socialist dream being perpetrated by those who profess a love of Liberty and Free Markets.  Traitors should be punished.  But of course, they won't, since they still run the show.

David in Qatar

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#3) On November 12, 2009 at 2:55 PM, XtremeNeoCon (< 20) wrote:

No matter how far fetched your opinion is; you can always find SOMEONE you can refer to as an expert who has written SOMETHING that will back up your belief that every military move the US has made was bad.

America is always wrong, America is always at fault, America is always the bad guy. America should never defend herself or her beliefs. What a crock of ****

We do agree on one thing. Traitors should be punished.

We made treason legal when we allowed the likes of Fonda and Kerry to be inducted into the Communist Hall of Fame in Hanoi. They are traitors, and should have been punished the same as the Rosenburgs. But instead of punishing them, we made a Hollywood celebrity of of one and a US Senator out of the other. 

"We must limit our military forces to home defense purposes."

Thats the most idealistic line of crap I ever heard. I'm sure it makes you FEEL GOOD all over, but its a dream at best, a nightmare at worst. We'd be speaking Russian if that had been our policy since WWII

Wake up, pull your head out of the sand. Its a dangerous world out there and WE'RE IN IT!

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#4) On November 13, 2009 at 1:04 AM, KamranatUCLA (29.75) wrote:

Xtrem

I think it's your head that is in the sand. I was born in Iran, grew up in Germany, and been an American Citizen for 15 years now. Pay all my taxes and all.

In comparison to other countries our lives suck! And I tell you why: KARMA. Killing millions doesn't go unpunished. Vietnam was not a neccessary war.

I think you must be a capitan or professional soldier, because without a war you go out of business.

When danger is clear and present everybody knows that. During world war 1 and 2 there were no such conversations as we are having now. Look how much respect WW1 and WW2 soldiers get from public, and look how much respect soldeirs get from Vietnam and Afghanistan.

Even people who fought in Vietnam (Except the rich kids like McCain) were against the war. When you are sent to a village in a country that is not yours and your order is to burn houses of families who live there, you know in your soul that there is something wrong here.

We have enough technology now to be just defensive. Why are we in Afghanistan now? you think we will speak Afghani in few years if we don't invade that country and ravage them? 

If Afghanistan is sooooo important why aren't Russian, Chinese, Iranians not there? They are not scared to be talking Afghani??

You see...you are a child! You can always argue...say this is the truth...that is the truth....blah blah blah...But deep inside you know...YOU KNOW that we don't need this BS.

Why would anyone invade the U.S.? Germans had a reason, they are running out of space...and guess what  almost 50% of original settlers in the U.S. were Germans.

U.S. has been the only country who has used Nuclear weapons. We couldn't drop the bombs in the ocean and warn people and tell them look...we have atomic weapon the war is over??? NO, we had to distroy coutnless life and harm the enviroenment forever.

I don't know in what world you live in, but if you don't give peace a chance you will never have a chance...and if you ever get hurt in a war or your kid dies in a war...i think you would be againt war too.

I have been in a war. During Iraq-Iran war American bombs were dropped in my neighborhood. I am a trained Aircraft technicien now and could make a good living in the Airforce...I said no to recruiters! Why do you think that is???

GROW UP idiot!

 

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#5) On November 13, 2009 at 3:17 PM, XtremeNeoCon (< 20) wrote:

and if you ever get hurt in a war or your kid dies in a war...

I have.

Go screw yourself, you stupid son of a bitch

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#6) On November 13, 2009 at 11:00 PM, Alwaysgolong (< 20) wrote:

I've known extreme over 40 years. Saw him before I left for work tonight and we talked about this blog. He wasn't mad, only frustrated. So I thought I'd stick my head n the door and see for myself. What a mess. Let me tell you a little about extreme. He's is a good man and a patriot. He's big. He's burly. He's tough as nails. He's been shot twice. Once on a mission he won't talk about, and again while trying to pull two kids apart fighting outside a movie theater. His son is paralized from the waste down from a bullet in the back while serving in Afghanistan. You curse him, but you couldn't carry his water.

He's a little gruff. He's still quick to smile, helpful, give a stranger the shirt off his back in a blizzard. He's the most generous man I've ever met. There is no one I have more respect for. 

I left this website months ago. I wasn't getting any value from it. I'm a simple man. I just want to make money. CAPS is dominated by kids who play the game well, but would never invest real $$ the same way they play the game. They got me doing the same thing. I wasn't good at it. The blogs are getting so politically charged they sound more like Rush Limbaugh and Alan Combs hand cuffed to each other and tossed over a clothes line wire than a conversation between adults. I figured out years ago that I couldn't change things, so I quit trying. This site polarizes people against each other. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. Look what happend here.

I don't know Mr. Butler. I've never read his book. I'm sure its a good book, but its just a book. I appreciate Mr. Butler and his service as much as anyone. Medal of Honor winner twice. He's obviously a brave man and a great soldier. My hat is off for the man.

With all due respect, does that make his ideology gospel? Extreme and his family have served our country and paid heavy tolls for the priveledge. You have nothing but contempt for Extreme. He and his son are heroes. Both of fhem willing to fight hell with a bucket of water. He's a lot like Mr. Butler I believe. I've known Extreme for a long time. He seldom talks about his military service. I know this, he has no fear of dying for his country. The title and body of your blog was bait and he took it. Then you flashed on him like a gasoline explosion. You sir should be ashamed of yourself for using Veteran's Day as an excuse to launch your attacks. IMO: Your not worth a bucket of his piss.

I doubt Mr. Butler would appreciate the way you used him and his book to offend Mr. Extreme either.

Man, my score sucks since I abandonded CAPS. I forgot that I picked all those shorts. oh well I'm not hanging around. I just stopped by to defend a good man. Good day gentlemen.

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#7) On November 13, 2009 at 11:28 PM, whereaminow (94.04) wrote:

Alwaysgolong,

Your points are fair enough. My family has made similar sacrifices.  My father lost his leg as Marine Infantry in Vietnam.  I served 10 years in the Marines.  My last NCOIC was killed in Iraq in 2003.  I have a loved one in Baghdad right now

First of all a little historical perspective always helps.  It may be Veterans Day now, but originally it was Armistice Day - a celebration of the end of World War I and a return to peace.  It had nothing to do with honoring soldiers.  So no, Kamrant should not be ashamed of using Veterans Day, a made-up holiday that replaced another made-up holiday, as his forum to speak his opinion.

Second, much of what Kamrant says is correct.  I live among Muslims, work with Muslims, and eat with them.  There is nothing inherently evil about them and nothing our current imperialistic war is doing brings them any closer to embracing American ideals.

Third, the only negative here is Kamrant's tone, but again, having lived among the people that America is subjugating, there is nothing unusual about it.  It is no more offensive to me than when Michael Savage declares that all Arab Americans or Muslims should be held in concentration camps, or when I hear a white person tell me that all Arabs should have tattoes on their arms so that we can identify them.

The most important point is that it is not our ideologies that divide us, but the desire to run other people's lives  Freedom bring people together.  The warfare/welfare state drives them apart.

David in Qatar 

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#8) On November 13, 2009 at 11:55 PM, scoobamang (87.10) wrote:

    Mhmm, we're just a shade under  $2 TRILLION now for Iraq and Afghanistan. And now that we've spent all of this and supposedly not gone in there for oil or anything, it makes you wonder why we went in in the first place at all. It almost seems as if American oil companies will HAVE to profit if we are going to support the war and the currency that it and the financial crisis have managed to devalue. The war budget is set off separately as if its an unlimited revolving credit facility that will never have to be paid back. This is how Barack Hu-sneaky Obama recently slipped the Afghanistan budget through without too much rigamarole. Oh wait guys! We do need to pay for all of these fancy Strykers that are being destroyed, but it will be for the rich dividend of...the body of Osama Bin Laden. Ooooooh, ahhhh!

    I remember reading a report from a few months ago that he had died of pneumonia, and I think that this is probably true and we are simply keeping up the appearance of him being alive as an excuse for splashin' around over there. We should increase the bounty to $50 million guys (snicker snicker)! 

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#9) On November 14, 2009 at 6:04 AM, Alwaysgolong (< 20) wrote:

I've lived and worked in the middle east and so has Extreme. We both got along well with everyone except the black shirts in Bahrain. Those are the kinds of radical thugs that give the rest of them a bad rap.

I tend to believe as Extreme does. We didn't start the wars, they did. All the way back to bombing the WTC the first time. The USS Cole, Kobar, Tansania, the list goes on. I also believe as he does that we had both wars won. We had victory in the palm of our hand and we gave it back when united we stand turned into united we stood. The flags disapeared, the bumper stickers were torn off and replaced with Saddam was elected, Bush was not. Al Gore went into the sour grapes business shouting his hate speech to all who would listen. The Bush haters came out of the woodwork. Bush made no attempt to defend himself and is now the most hated man on earth. What have we gained by hating one man so bad we mired ourselves in a war we refuse to win?

War is a horrible ugly thing. No one should ever be in favor of war. but at what point do you say, enough is enough? Terrorists have been around for a century. They have become bolder and bolder until they finally killed 3000 of our people in a single day. How do you stop a progression of boldness like that without fighting back?

Its really not something I care to argue about. I disagree with your assessment thats all. I thank you for your service, but to be honest, I've no use at all for that ranting raving idiot kamran. If he hates America that bad, he can haul his dumb ass back to Iran. Piss on him.

I'm outta here. Be safe over there.

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#10) On November 14, 2009 at 6:59 AM, whereaminow (94.04) wrote:

Alwaysgolong,

History doesn't start at 9/11 or at Dar es Salaam or Nairobi or Beruit for that matter. They definitely did not fire the first shot.

Wikipedia (American intervention)

Britian carved up Iraq in 1912, intervened in Jordan in 1955, and held India/Pakistan in colonization.

The USSR invaded Afghanistan (which at the time was a growing secular nation)

Truman wanted to beat the Russkies to declaring newly created Israel an ally.  Oops, should have let the USSR have that one.

I think King David fired the first shot

The point is, saying Muslims fired the first shot is not correct.  If that is the basis for our war, then we are wrong. Plain. And. Simple.

I hate Bush for being a liar, a Socialist, and a traitor.  I wish he had been weaker.

David in Qatar 

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#11) On November 17, 2009 at 12:25 AM, KamranatUCLA (29.75) wrote:

Always $ Extreme:

We don't need heros!!! And I don't respct something I don't need.

Heroes are the ones who die, are nameless and don't get medlas of honors. 

I hate the word "HERO" with all my guts, because it puts another human being on top of the rest of us. And my blood boils if someone tells me he/she is better than me. I also don't think I am better than anyone.

I like equality.

I never asked for you to be a soldier. It's a profession you chose to have and I say "profession" in the dirtiest form.

We have stop playing heros, when you have absolutly no knowledge of the people whom you want to "HELP."

American policies since WW2 has only caused pain in the world, here and abroad.

You talk about Afghanistan and Iraq, im still mad about Vietnam. WHY DID WE KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE IN VEITNAM??? why did we bomb them like they were pests. I hope the souls of people who were responsible for those killings burn in hell for eternity.

I have said this 1000000 times. If I, as a person, ever feel like my freedoms is being manipluated, or if I feel other countries would want to invade America, I am the first one to sign up to go and fight!

Afghan war and Iraq war were not defensive wars, we entered those wars because we just could. You said I should drink his piss??? I piss on him, his son, his grave, and the graves of all those killers who call themselves HERO.

WE ARE ALL EQUAL!!! ALL! NO EXCEPTOIN!!! GO TELL YOUR MOTHER THAT YOU ARE A HERO!!! YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN ANY OF US!!! YOU CAN GO TO HELL!!! AND YOU DESERVE ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU. YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE BULLIES WITH NO LIFE, YOU ARE ANTI SOCIAL IN NATURE AND YOU THOUGHT BEING A "HERO" MAKES YOU POPULAR!!!

Go to hell and get a life!!!!!!!

 

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#12) On November 17, 2009 at 12:32 AM, KamranatUCLA (29.75) wrote:

I tend to believe as Extreme does. We didn't start the wars, they did. All the way back to bombing the WTC the first time. The USS Cole, Kobar, Tansania, the list goes on. I also believe as he does that we had both wars won.

 

USS COLE was not in the USA.

Kobar is not in the USA.

Tansania is not in the USA.

And the list goes on for places that are not our country and we have no business to be there!!!!

How would you feel if chinese ships were in Florida, or if Chinese politician told our politicians what to do???
I don't get you!!!

What's wrong with you???? Are you that stupid??? or Ignorant? Are you retarded????

I don't get it at all!!!!

How can we go to other countries and tell them what to do??? What gives us that right except being purly evil and  like a BULLY??!!!!

F%^$CK YOU!!!!

I never liked bullies, I never liked Heros....both are from same cloth!!!!

GO TO HELL!!!!

 

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#13) On November 17, 2009 at 12:44 AM, stockrevealer (33.00) wrote:

ALWAYS

Kamran seems more patriotic to me than you. I think it is you that hates this country and should leave soon.

He is against unpopular wars; he is against stupid killings in the name of freedom. He is more for freedom than security.

Those seem like original American ideals to me. Kamran is more American than you could ever wish to be.

Go Kamran.

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