From The Mouth Of A Guy Who Knew War, Knew What The Deal Was When It Went Down-With Marine Corps General Smedley Butler In Mind

From The Mouth Of A Guy Who Knew War, Knew What The Deal Was When It Went Down-With Marine Corps General Smedley Butler In Mind

 

Frank Jackman comment:

 

For a long time now, maybe since Vietnam War times when there were enough rank and file soldiers who felt that way I have mentioned that the guys, now guys and gals, who fought the wars and then got “religion” on the questions of war and peace had a certain “street cred” that any proud Quaker, ardent civilian anti-war activist or renegade ex-government agent just did not have. Had that credibility based on having been there, done that which gave them more than a passing nod at the ugly truth of war, and who did or did not benefit from the blood-letting. If you don’t  believe me go back to the books, or to something like YouTube or Wikipedia is to see what effect a bunch of anti-war GIs had back in the day when just the sight of a Vietnam Veterans Against The War banner on the street with ex-GIs marching behind in silent formation made ever the most hardened chicken-hawk keep quiet, turn his or her head.

 

If that “street cred” was true for the rank and file soldier it held even more true when the anti-war movement was able to snag a high ranking officer, in this case a top Marine general Smedley Butler, who had been through the ranks, had risen to the officer class, had been decorated and who when the deal went down said it was all bullshit. That as the expression quoted above stated it clearly and susinkly he had spent his career as a military man as nothing but a hatchet man, a butcher boy for the ruling class. Had almost been snared into one of their nefarious schemes to change the government under cover of national emergency, a coup like we are used to seeing or reading about in other countries not America.  He said in the parlance of the common soldier-“fuck it.” Said as precious few soldiers have done since soldiers started taking orders from somebody for some purpose “no” when the deal went down and the one had to decide quickly-war or no to war. Listen up when a dog soldier or a decorated general says no.