U.S. PROFITS FROM ENDLESS WAR

‘War is a racket.’

That classic take on US imperialism by US Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler (1881-1940) many decades ago described Washington's fixation on endless wars to dominate the world in its quest to expand and protect corporate profits.

Here, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen on X) reads from Butler's 1935 book, ‘War is a Racket: The Profit that Fuels Warfare,’ which revealed the strong commercial interests that shape US foreign and military policy. Butler’s military work helped US corporations establish their presence in Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia. Looking back, Butler realised he had been a ‘gangster for capitalism.’

Imperialism involves a country using military force to ensure profits outside its borders. While researcher David Vine has stated that the United States operates at least 750 military bases in over 80 countries, US military veteran and psychologist Monisha Rios claimed in 2023 that at least 3,000 US military installations exist if counting non-base structures.

US warmongering has led some US states to rely on military contracts to bolster their economies. For instance, in 2024, Missouri congress member Ann Wagner pointed out that delays in ammunition shipments to Israel were negatively impacting workers in her district. 

Unfortunately, whether it's mutilated infants in Palestine, slaughtered peoples in the Horn of Africa, or s*xually assaulted women who live near US military bases, victims of US militarism pay the highest price.

Video credit: (@TCNetwork on X)