---
title: "2 Oldest Quotes By Smedley Butler"
description: "2 Oldest quotes by Smedley Butler. Plus more from Smedley Butler and more Oldest sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/smedley-butler-17291_anti-war_war-is-a-racket-it-always-has-been-it-is_872968.png"
---

> [War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/war-is-a-racket-it-always-has-been-it-is-possibly-the-oldest-easily/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/smedley-butler-17291_anti-war_war-is-a-racket-it-always-has-been-it-is_872968.png)

> [“WAR is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/war-is-a-racket-it-always-has-been-it-is-possibly-the-oldest-easily-2/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/smedley-butler-17291_oldest_war-is-a-racket-it-always-has-been-it-is_889598.png)

## More by Smedley Butler

> [War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/war-is-just-a-racket-a-racket-is-best-described-i-believe-as/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/i-helped-make-mexico-especially-tampico-safe-for-american-oil/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [“I spent thirty-three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country's most agile military force, the Marine Corps.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/i-spent-thirty-three-years-and-four-months-in-active-military-service/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [Only those who would be called upon to risk their lives for their country should have the privilege of voting to determine whether the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/only-those-who-would-be-called-upon-to-risk-their-lives-for-their/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [One hundred and twenty Marines were detailed to officer a force of twenty-six hundred Haitians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/one-hundred-and-twenty-marines-were-detailed-to-officer-a-force-of/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [I served in all commissioned ranks from a second Lieutenant to a Major General. And during that time, I spent most of my time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/i-served-in-all-commissioned-ranks-from-a-second-lieutenant-to-a/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/war-is-a-racket-it-always-has-been-it-is-possibly-the-oldest-easily/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [“WAR is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/war-is-a-racket-it-always-has-been-it-is-possibly-the-oldest-easily-2/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of the higher-ups. This is typical with everyone in the military service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/my-mental-faculties-remained-in-suspended-animation-while-i-obeyed/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [We must permit the youth of the land who would bear arms to decide whether or not there should be war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/we-must-permit-the-youth-of-the-land-who-would-bear-arms-to-decide/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [Why don't those damn oil companies fly their own flags on their personal property-maybe a flag with a gas pump on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/why-don-t-those-damn-oil-companies-fly-their-own-flags-on-their/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [I served in all commissioned ranks from second lieutenant to major general. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/i-served-in-all-commissioned-ranks-from-second-lieutenant-to-major/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of the higher-ups. This is typical with everyone in the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/my-mental-faculties-remained-in-suspended-animation-while-i-obeyed-2/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/the-trouble-with-america-is-that-when-the-dollar-only-earns-6-percent/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

> [War Is A Racket : I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Now I am sure of it. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/war-is-a-racket-i-suspected-i-was-just-part-of-a-racket-at-the-time/)

[Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/)

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