@7:19PM

Major General Smedley Butler, USMC, the most decorated Marine in US history (awarded two Medals of Honor), from his War Is a Racket.

I just watched Jon Stewart (whom I couldn’t have more respect for) glad-hand stroke fellate interview former Joint Chiefs Chairman, General Richard Myers, on last night’s Daily Show.  It was essentially the exact opposite of his Jim Cramer interview from last week.  But my beef’s not really with Stewart.  He can’t man-handle everyone—no one would agree to come on the show in that case—and even the most vociferous high profile critics of US foreign policy rein themselves in around soldiers, reserving the lion’s share of their ire for politicians.  As it should be.

My beef’s with the sycophantic Myers.  Where’s our generation’s Smedley Butler?  The man was proven a bonafide badass a thousand times over, and he willingly tarnished his reputation as such to stand up and speak up about what he’d learned over three decades of service.  In a 1935 issue of the socialist magazine Common Sense, he’s quoted as follows:

“I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.”

General Myers is retired.  He doesn’t report to a president anymore.  I’d love nothing more that to see him, or any retired general officer, muster some Smedley Butler-sized balls and speak some truth not just to power but to us all.  No, I’m not holding my breath.