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Whistleblowers Past and Present
by floyd Tuesday, Jul 23 2013, 1:14pm
international /
prose /
post
Primarily due to the adverse propaganda they attract most people are aware of today's many whistleblowers; however, few are aware of the strong tradition of truth-telling and revealing State crime. I have selected one major truth-teller from the past and included his book (PDF) and his most famous speech. It should be noted that the person I refer to was a highly decorated Major General in the US Marine Corps, who unlike Manning, had some protection due to his reputation and rank. However, I do not wish to diminish in any way the efforts of today's whistleblowers, only highlight the fact that men and women of conscience have existed since time immemorial and that revealing TRUTH is a very old and noble tradition, especially in religious contexts -- hang your head in shame, 'Christian,' America! Foremost whistleblower and hero of our time is brave Bradley Manning who took on the criminal Pentagon in a forward assault, alone and with little regard for his personal welfare; much to our collective shame, Manning has been paying the price for his exceptionally heroic act ever since.
Confronting State crime incurs a very high cost today. I would hope that people of conscience everywhere rally around brave Bradley in his time of need -- we should not forget that his gesture was intended to expose the sordid Truth of war crimes and hopefully trigger reform and a return to law and order; however, as we are aware the criminal State persists due to our shameful inaction.
For those that may be unaware, a tradition of whistleblowers and people of conscience revealing sordid details of State corruption and crime has existed since the formation of human societies. Examples can be found in ancient history and especially religious texts, as State crime is the most heinous crime of all and is very difficult to hide, Gulf of Tonkin, USS Liberty, JFK assassination and the most obvious and bungled of them all, 9/11, anthrax letters and the absurd, proof devoid, fictional assassination of dead (for years) Bin Laden.
Historically, military crime, a US specialty, has attracted the overwhelming majority of whistleblowers. The most compromising to the State military whistleblower, was Major General Smedley Butler who took to the print media and published, ‘War is a Racket,’ while openly condemning the military at every opportunity for facilitating and securing Wall St, Bank and Corporate profits rather than performing its allotted duty of protecting the nation from enemies, foreign and domestic!
Remember, TRUTH only sets you FREE if it initiates REFORM.
Peace.
Author, Finian Cunningham, recently intro’d a story on Ed Snowden with numerous quotes from Butler, as follows:
One of America’s genuine heroes, Major General Smedley D Butler revealed in his memoirs the true, abhorrent nature of Washington’s foreign policy. Butler had led countless military operations in Central America and the Caribbean as a US Marines Corp commander in the era of “gunboat diplomacy” during the early 1900s. Years after his retirement, he spoke out candidly and ruefully of his highly decorated military service in a book entitled War is a Racket. Here is how Butler characterized with unsparing words his service for country in 1935, five years before his death:
“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”.
Awarded twice with a Medal of Honor, Butler in his later life was scathing about official US government ideological pretensions, such as “Manifest Destiny”, that presume to enlighten the rest of the world on the principles of human rights and international law. Under the veneer of maintaining foreign policy and relations, Butler knew from his own sordid experience that Washington’s conduct was in essence to provide the military wing of American capitalism.
The retired US general described his role thus:
“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″.
Etc., etc.
It is interesting to note that Butler was not pursued for his actions as truth-tellers are today, why? The corporates and elites of the time had nothing to fear from these revelations, as most of the population were benefiting from State/military crime. However, avarice being what it is that situation has drastically changed today, though the myth of widespread benefit persists.
Today the overwhelming share goes to corporatists, bankers and plutocrats who incidentally control Washington and the State’s ideological apparatuses, especially the judiciary, intelligence agencies, police and most importantly, the MILITARY! It seems that too much is never enough for these sickos.
As less and less 'benefit/plunder,' the spoils of illegal wars, is shared with the population elites begin to fear those they have robbed and/or abused/mistreated, including the local population.
Regardless of new surveillance methods and outrageous new Draconian 'laws,' retaliation is inevitable. The people will soon wake to the fact that government, which is commissioned to represent and serve the PEOPLE/MAJORITY, is serving moneyed criminal minorities instead. When that day comes all the money in the world will not buy a pardon from the hangman's noose, or worse, mobs seeking crude justice/vengeance!
 War is a Racket - Major General Smedley Butler
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article35627.htm
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