Comments on: Letter of the month http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/ Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:47:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Ian Westmore http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-263021 Ian Westmore Wed, 02 Nov 2005 07:42:00 +0000 http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-263021 "War is a racket" are the words of Major-General Smedley Butler, one of only 2 US Marines to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor twice. So no cream puff!<br/><br/>I only quoted part of what he said, http://www.chss.montclair.edu/english/furr/butler1.html has the full text.<br/><br/>I first heard of him soon after I first went to 'Nam. The last paragraph in the first bold type section struck me as particular apt for the times. I resonates even more strongly today. “War is a racket” are the words of Major-General Smedley Butler, one of only 2 US Marines to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor twice. So no cream puff!

I only quoted part of what he said, http://www.chss.montclair.edu/english/furr/butler1.html has the full text.

I first heard of him soon after I first went to ‘Nam. The last paragraph in the first bold type section struck me as particular apt for the times. I resonates even more strongly today.

]]> By: Wombat http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262992 Wombat Tue, 01 Nov 2005 13:31:00 +0000 http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262992 Ian, thanks for sharing your past with us. It explains a great deal.<br/><br/>I have always found your posts to include a delth of understanding, compassion and wisdom. Now I understand why.<br/><br/>Did you get thet quote from the op-ed "War is a racket"?<br/><br/>Needless to say I thoroughly agree with you. Ian, thanks for sharing your past with us. It explains a great deal.

I have always found your posts to include a delth of understanding, compassion and wisdom. Now I understand why.

Did you get thet quote from the op-ed “War is a racket”?

Needless to say I thoroughly agree with you.

]]> By: Ian Westmore http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262975 Ian Westmore Tue, 01 Nov 2005 08:02:00 +0000 http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262975 Some of the truest words I've ever read concerning war are these:<br/><br/>"There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket. <br/><br/>There isn't a trick in the racketeering bag that the military gang is blind to. It has its "finger men" to point out enemies, its "muscle men" to destroy enemies, its "brain men" to plan war preparations, and a "Big Boss" Super-Nationalistic-Capitalism. <br/><br/>It may seem odd for me, a military man to adopt such a comparison. Truthfulness compels me to. 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. 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.<br/><br/>I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Now I am sure of it." Some of the truest words I’ve ever read concerning war are these:

“There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket.

There isn’t a trick in the racketeering bag that the military gang is blind to. It has its “finger men” to point out enemies, its “muscle men” to destroy enemies, its “brain men” to plan war preparations, and a “Big Boss” Super-Nationalistic-Capitalism.

It may seem odd for me, a military man to adopt such a comparison. Truthfulness compels me to. 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. 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.

I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Now I am sure of it.”

]]> By: Ibrahamav http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262956 Ibrahamav Mon, 31 Oct 2005 21:47:00 +0000 http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262956 It appears that Arnold needs a lesson in math and truth. Dirty merely need a lesson in language arts.<br/><br/>The opposite of emotion is indifference. The opposite of love is hate. No wonder you don't know what you are talking about. It appears that Arnold needs a lesson in math and truth. Dirty merely need a lesson in language arts.

The opposite of emotion is indifference. The opposite of love is hate. No wonder you don’t know what you are talking about.

]]> By: leftvegdrunk http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262942 leftvegdrunk Mon, 31 Oct 2005 11:49:00 +0000 http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262942 "The opposite of love is not hate. It is indifference." “The opposite of love is not hate. It is indifference.”

]]> By: Edward Mariyani-Squire http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262940 Edward Mariyani-Squire Mon, 31 Oct 2005 11:44:00 +0000 http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262940 All true, but the numbers in the 'for' and 'against' camps are the trivial ones; it is <i>"largest number who say nothing"</i> that is true cause for dismay. All true, but the numbers in the ‘for’ and ‘against’ camps are the trivial ones; it is “largest number who say nothing” that is true cause for dismay.

]]> By: Antony Loewenstein http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262928 Antony Loewenstein Mon, 31 Oct 2005 09:56:00 +0000 http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262928 And ten thousand people who seem to believe that war brings peace, Iraq is a democracy and America's aims are noble. And ten thousand people who seem to believe that war brings peace, Iraq is a democracy and America’s aims are noble.

]]> By: leftvegdrunk http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262927 leftvegdrunk Mon, 31 Oct 2005 09:27:00 +0000 http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2005/10/31/letter-of-the-month/#comment-262927 We could probably have a stab at another number that's relevant here. For every one letter like this there are five thousand venomous, pro-war comments in the blogosphere.<br/><br/>Perhaps it's not as bad as that, but sometimes it seems that way. We could probably have a stab at another number that’s relevant here. For every one letter like this there are five thousand venomous, pro-war comments in the blogosphere.

Perhaps it’s not as bad as that, but sometimes it seems that way.

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