--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I served in all commissioned ranks from…" description: "\"I served in all commissioned ranks from second lieutenant to major general. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high-class muscle m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/smedley-butler-17291_bankers_i-served-in-all-commissioned-ranks-from_1117290.png" --- # I served in all commissioned ranks from second lieutenant… ![“I served in all commissioned ranks from second lieutenant to major general. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high-class muscle man for big business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.” quote by Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/smedley-butler-17291_bankers_i-served-in-all-commissioned-ranks-from_1117290.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/smedley-butler-17291_bankers_i-served-in-all-commissioned-ranks-from_1117290.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/smedley-butler-17291_bankers_i-served-in-all-commissioned-ranks-from_1117290.png) > “I served in all commissioned ranks from second lieutenant to major general. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high-class muscle man for big business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.” [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Capitalism can turn individuals into enforcers of exploitation. **In simple terms:** Capitalism can make people corporate. Key Takeaway Question the moral cost of corporate roles. Themes ethics capitalism power corruption Mood critical analytical Type political historical When to use this quote - corporate careers - military service - financial sector Key Concepts political economy social justice Questions to Reflect On - How can one act ethically within such systems? - What alternatives exist? A Different Perspective Not all corporate work is inherently exploitative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bankers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bankers/) [Big business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-business/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Gangster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gangster/) [Gangster Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gangster-capitalism-3005535/) [Gangsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gangsters/) [High class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-class/) [Lieutenants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lieutenants/) [Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majors/) [Marine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marine/) [Marine corps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marine-corps/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Muscle Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muscle-man-225687/) [Muscles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muscles/) [My time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-time/) [Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periods/) [Racket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racket/) [Racketeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racketeer-153414/) [Racketeer Gangster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racketeer-gangster-3005536/) [Served Commissioned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/served-commissioned-256128/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Wall St](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall-st/) [Wall street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall-street/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [“I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-d-butler/i-spent-33-years-and-four-months-in-active-military-service-and/) [Smedley D. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-d-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/) > [“I spent 33 years and 4 months in active military service . . . And during that period I spent most of my time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-spent-33-years-and-4-months-in-active-military-service-and-during/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I spent thirty-three years in the Marines, most of my time being a hlgh class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-spent-thirty-three-years-in-the-marines-most-of-my-time-being-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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-2/) [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) > [Before the GOP became the party of Trump's gangster capitalism, they weren't perfect capitalists, but they at least paid lip service to the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/before-the-gop-became-the-party-of-trump-s-gangster-capitalism-they/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [I am fed up with a system which busts the pot smoker and lets the big dope racketeer go free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-am-fed-up-with-a-system-which-busts-the-pot-smoker-and-lets-the-big/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [“I have a plan, one I've been plotting for years now. It is my only way out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-have-a-plan-one-i-ve-been-plotting-for-years-now-it-is-my-only-way/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“A company of wolves, is better than a company of wolves in sheep's clothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/a-company-of-wolves-is-better-than-a-company-of-wolves-in-sheep-s/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [glancing back I got my first clear look at the monster. He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/glancing-back-i-got-my-first-clear-look-at-the-monster-he-was-seven/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [...the Magnificent Seven consisted of one swimmer of color, a representative from each extreme of the educational spectrum, a muscle man, a giant, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/the-magnificent-seven-consisted-of-one-swimmer-of-color-a/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) > [“He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from the cover of Muscle Man magazine—bulging biceps and triceps and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/he-was-seven-feet-tall-easy-his-arms-and-legs-like-something-from-the/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I've got to be high class... Which is sad, because I like bars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-craig/i-ve-got-to-be-high-class-which-is-sad-because-i-like-bars/) [Daniel Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-craig/) > [“In general, poor is polite and rich is rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/in-general-poor-is-polite-and-rich-is-rude/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) ## 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/) > [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/) > [The normal profits of a business concern in the United States are six, eight, ten, and sometimes twelve percent. But war-time profits - ah!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/the-normal-profits-of-a-business-concern-in-the-united-states-are-six/) [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) [Explore all 37 Smedley Butler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) ## More Bankers quotes > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [The socially redeeming aspect of golf lies in the vast number of lawyers and bankers and managers who play it, and when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-socially-redeeming-aspect-of-golf-lies-in-the-vast-number-of/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [What Wall Street and credit card companies are doing is really not much different from what gangsters and loan sharks do who make predatory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/what-wall-street-and-credit-card-companies-are-doing-is-really-not/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [When a government is dependent upon bankers for money, they and not the leaders of the government control the situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/when-a-government-is-dependent-upon-bankers-for-money-they-and-not/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [3 people get stranded on a remote Island A Banker, a Daily Mail reader & an Asylum seeker All they have to eat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-brookmyre/3-people-get-stranded-on-a-remote-island-a-banker-a-daily-mail-reader/) [Christopher Brookmyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-brookmyre/) > [“After analyzing our current crisis and studying well-established historical precedents, I must conclude that the global bankers have only three possible cards left to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/after-analyzing-our-current-crisis-and-studying-well-established/) [Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [ What I think is bugging this guy \[Steven Lerner\] is the belief that debt - forced debt upon middle-class people, students (i.e., student loans… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/what-i-think-is-bugging-this-guy-steven-lerner-is-the-belief-that/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [If you owe your bank manager a thousand pounds, you are at his mercy. If you owe him a million pounds, he is at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/if-you-owe-your-bank-manager-a-thousand-pounds-you-are-at-his-mercy/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [It's a topsy-turvy world in which a country can import the same amount of ice-cream, toilet paper and other goods to trading partners as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-simms/it-s-a-topsy-turvy-world-in-which-a-country-can-import-the-same/) [Andrew Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-simms/) > [Why is it possible to rescue S&L buccaneers in the early '90s and provide guidance to levered Wall Street investment bankers during the 1998…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/why-is-it-possible-to-rescue-s-l-buccaneers-in-the-early-90s-and/) [Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/) > [There is too much sour grapes for my taste in the present American attitude. The time to denounce the bankers was when we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/there-is-too-much-sour-grapes-for-my-taste-in-the-present-american/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [Argentina is a marvelous place. Argentines are great bankers of information. They import information; if someone sneezes in Milan or in New York, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilio-ambasz/argentina-is-a-marvelous-place-argentines-are-great-bankers-of/) [Emilio Ambasz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilio-ambasz/) > [Now it's of peculiar interest to an Arab country that there is a company and a certain set of bankers who also finance the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/now-it-s-of-peculiar-interest-to-an-arab-country-that-there-is-a/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [The bankers just got a good cussing by everybody for loaning too much money. Well, they got some awful nice buildings. So when a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-bankers-just-got-a-good-cussing-by-everybody-for-loaning-too-much/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) [Browse all 464 Bankers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bankers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I served in all commissioned ranks from second lieutenant to major general. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high-class muscle man for big business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. 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