"War is just a racket... I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else"

Smedley Butler, a highly decorated Marine Corps general, delivers a scathing condemnation of war through his words. By calling war "just a racket", he exposes his belief that warfare is often manipulated to serve the interests of a select few, primarily those who stand to profit financially. The term "racket" conjures images of organized crime, scams, and corruption, fundamentally challenging patriotic narratives that glorify war as a noble endeavor. Butler suggests that, instead, wars are frequently manufactured or prolonged by industrialists, politicians, and corporations who gain from the suffering and destruction of conflict, while ordinary citizens bear the true cost.

His emphasis on "adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else" reflects a philosophy of non-interventionism and strict national defense. Butler does not advocate for total pacifism but proposes a limited military role that focuses exclusively on protecting the homeland from direct threats. The coastline serves as a symbolic and geographic boundary; beyond that line, military action is unwarranted and suspect. This stance implicitly criticizes imperialism, foreign interventions, and military adventurism. According to Butler, when military force is used for objectives beyond immediate self-defense, such as protecting overseas investments or expanding economic influence, it loses legitimacy and devolves into exploitation.

Underlying his words is a distrust of those who shape foreign policy and control the machinery of war. Butler identifies a dangerous alliance between government authority and private business interests, suggesting that soldiers are deployed not for the public good, but to serve covert economic agendas. His perspective is rooted in firsthand experience, having witnessed how war-making decisions are often motivated by profit rather than principles. By advocating for purely defensive measures, Butler appeals to democratic accountability and ethical restraint, urging society to question the motives behind military engagement and to safeguard its sons and daughters from becoming instruments of greed and power.