--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: War is just a racket. A racket is best…" description: "\"War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside grou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/018/smedley-butler-17291_antiwar_war-is-just-a-racket-a-racket-is-best-de_274913.jpg" --- # War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I… ![“War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.” quote by Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/018/smedley-butler-17291_antiwar_war-is-just-a-racket-a-racket-is-best-de_274913.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/018/smedley-butler-17291_antiwar_war-is-just-a-racket-a-racket-is-best-de_274913.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/018/smedley-butler-17291_antiwar_war-is-just-a-racket-a-racket-is-best-de_274913.jpg) > “War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.” [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. War benefits a profit-driven scheme that benefits a privileged few while deceiving the masses. **In simple terms:** War benefits a few at the cost of many. Key Takeaway Question the true motives behind conflicts. Themes power greed deception Mood skeptical critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - political activism - public awareness - media literacy - peace advocacy Key Concepts military‑industrial complex elite control Questions to Reflect On - Who benefits from the wars you support? - How can societies prevent elite exploitation? A Different Perspective The claim may overlook wars fought for self‑defense or liberation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Antiwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antiwar/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Expenses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expenses/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [Just Racket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-racket-2678815/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Racket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racket/) [Racket Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racket-best-2678816/) [Racket Racket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racket-racket-2678814/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-just-249528/) ## Related quotes > [War is just a racket... I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/war-is-just-a-racket-i-believe-in-adequate-defense-at-the-coastline/) [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [You can't have this kind of war. There just aren't enough bulldozers to scrape the bodies off the streets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-can-t-have-this-kind-of-war-there-just-aren-t-enough-bulldozers/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Look at you in war...There has never been a just one, never an honorable one, on the part of the instigator of the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/look-at-you-in-war-there-has-never-been-a-just-one-never-an-honorable/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I follow the teachings of Major General Smedley Darlington Butler, United States Marine Corps. He won two Congressional Medals of Honor, and he wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/i-follow-the-teachings-of-major-general-smedley-darlington-butler/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [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/) > [I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/i-helped-in-the-raping-of-half-a-dozen-central-american-republics-for/) [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) > [War is a racket. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/war-is-a-racket-it-is-the-only-one-international-in-scope-it-is-the/) [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) > [A few profit - and the many pay. But there is a way to stop it. You can't end it by disarmament conferences. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/a-few-profit-and-the-many-pay-but-there-is-a-way-to-stop-it-you-can-t/) [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/) > [War like any other racket, pays high dividends to the very few. The cost of operations is always transferred to the people who do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/war-like-any-other-racket-pays-high-dividends-to-the-very-few-the/) [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) > [No one told these American soldiers they might be shot down by bullets made by their own brothers here. No one told them that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/no-one-told-these-american-soldiers-they-might-be-shot-down-by/) [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/) ## More by 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/) > [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 Antiwar quotes > [In the struggle of good against evil, it's always the people who get killed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/in-the-struggle-of-good-against-evil-it-s-always-the-people-who-get/) [Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/) > [“... it would be better for our country and the world in general, if at least the few people who were capable of thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-would-be-better-for-our-country-and-the-world-in-general-if-at/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [In the eyes of empire builders men are not men but instruments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/in-the-eyes-of-empire-builders-men-are-not-men-but-instruments/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [My first wish is to see this plague of mankind banished from the earth, and the sons and daughters of this world employed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/my-first-wish-is-to-see-this-plague-of-mankind-banished-from-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The practice of violence, like all action, changes the world, but the most probable change is a more violent world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-practice-of-violence-like-all-action-changes-the-world-but-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [One reason the United States finds itself at the edge of a foreign policy disaster is its underinformed citizenry, a key weakness in democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-halper/one-reason-the-united-states-finds-itself-at-the-edge-of-a-foreign/) [Stefan Halper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-halper/) > [The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-had-to-endure-were-inflicted/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [You cannot be on one hand dedicated to peace and on the other dedicated to violence. Those two things are irreconcilable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/you-cannot-be-on-one-hand-dedicated-to-peace-and-on-the-other/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/free-nations-don-t-develop-weapons-of-mass-destruction/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [...Uncalled-for aggression arouses the hatred of the civilian population...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/uncalled-for-aggression-arouses-the-hatred-of-the-civilian-population/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Studies by Medical Corps psychiatrists of combat fatigue cases... found that fear of killing, rather than fear of being killed, was the most common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-lyman-atwood-marshall/studies-by-medical-corps-psychiatrists-of-combat-fatigue-cases-found/) [Samuel Lyman Atwood Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-lyman-atwood-marshall/) > [I believe that the entire effort of modern society should be concentrated on the endeavor to outlaw war as a method of the solution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-believe-that-the-entire-effort-of-modern-society-should-be/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [In war, as it is waged now, with the enormous losses on both sides, both sides will lose. It is a form of mutual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/in-war-as-it-is-waged-now-with-the-enormous-losses-on-both-sides-both/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Our reluctance for conflict should not be misjudged as a failure of will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/our-reluctance-for-conflict-should-not-be-misjudged-as-a-failure-of/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 409 Antiwar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antiwar/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. 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