Biography sheds doubt on media
Common Sense
David Breland
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: Opinion
David Breland is the managing editor of The Reflector. He can be contacted at dcb78@msstate.edu.
"The winners write history," is an old quote I have heard countless times and the attribution has been lost to me. Recently though it has been brought to the forefront of my attention as I have been doing some historical reading.
I stumbled one day upon the biography of a man named General Smedley Butler. Butler was a Marine Corps general and was awarded the Medal of Honor twice in addition to the Marine Corps Brevet Medal (which when it was awarded was the highest honor the Corps could bestow upon a marine). Butler served as one of the highest-ranking officers in the Marine Corps and was beloved by his troops. At the time of his death in 1940 Butler was the most highly decorated marine in U.S. history.
Butler's story piqued my interest, and soon I was on Amazon ordering a book about him and one he authored.
It wasn't until I delved into Butler's biography that I discovered a very scary and very little known footnote to history. In 1933 Butler was approached by some men who wanted his help with a project. Butler, being the well-respected Marine he was, was asked to lead a military coup-de-tat to overthrow then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The men, bankrolled by the who's who of corporate elite such as the DuPont family, Remington Arms, U.S. Steel, General Motors and Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, were planning to overthrow the President and install something tantamount to a fascist dictatorship in the U.S. The plot has since been known as the "Business Plot."
The supposition of these individuals was that not only would a regime change like theirs bring the country out of the Great Depression, it would also benefit these companies' profits, as they would control country. The plan was in place to use 500,000 men led by Butler to unseat the President and install whomever they pleased as leader. The ringleaders had the men, the money and the muscle, or so they thought.
"The winners write history," is an old quote I have heard countless times and the attribution has been lost to me. Recently though it has been brought to the forefront of my attention as I have been doing some historical reading.
I stumbled one day upon the biography of a man named General Smedley Butler. Butler was a Marine Corps general and was awarded the Medal of Honor twice in addition to the Marine Corps Brevet Medal (which when it was awarded was the highest honor the Corps could bestow upon a marine). Butler served as one of the highest-ranking officers in the Marine Corps and was beloved by his troops. At the time of his death in 1940 Butler was the most highly decorated marine in U.S. history.
Butler's story piqued my interest, and soon I was on Amazon ordering a book about him and one he authored.
It wasn't until I delved into Butler's biography that I discovered a very scary and very little known footnote to history. In 1933 Butler was approached by some men who wanted his help with a project. Butler, being the well-respected Marine he was, was asked to lead a military coup-de-tat to overthrow then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The men, bankrolled by the who's who of corporate elite such as the DuPont family, Remington Arms, U.S. Steel, General Motors and Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, were planning to overthrow the President and install something tantamount to a fascist dictatorship in the U.S. The plot has since been known as the "Business Plot."
The supposition of these individuals was that not only would a regime change like theirs bring the country out of the Great Depression, it would also benefit these companies' profits, as they would control country. The plan was in place to use 500,000 men led by Butler to unseat the President and install whomever they pleased as leader. The ringleaders had the men, the money and the muscle, or so they thought.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 6
Ryan
posted 4/18/08 @ 9:46 AM CST
I would really like to know what you are suggesting David.
Ryan
posted 4/21/08 @ 1:10 PM CST
Thanks for clearing it up. I just hope you are not trying to relate this situation to Obama's situation. They can not be compared. As much as I dislike Hillary, I have to agree with her on this issue. (Continued…)
David Breland
posted 4/21/08 @ 4:33 PM CST
Actually the headline is a misnomer. Butler's story sheds doubt on where the media, but what I was getting at was how corporations really run America. (Continued…)
Mark O'Neil
posted 4/21/08 @ 7:41 PM CST
Hello Mr. Breland,
Define "Neo-con". I am not sure if I fit into your definition of a "Neo-con". I consider myself mainstream. However, if voting for issues that I consider to be the best option on the political menu is conservative, then you can call me that or whatever you wish. (Continued…)
David Breland
posted 4/21/08 @ 9:54 PM CST
What I consider to be a "neo-con" are the Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfelds of the world. I consider myself a moderate, but vote both ways. Of course "Neo-Con" is a new term. (Continued…)
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