Book · 2018 · Political Science
War Is a Racket
And Other Essential Truths from General Smedley Butler
#210 of 16,672 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts
- mentions
- 28
- people
- 13
- podcasts
- 6
- episodes
- 23
- critical mentions
- 0
War Is a Racket is a relatively short book that anyone can buy online and I highly recommend it to everyone.
What they say about it
- Written in the 1930s“wrote a book called War is a Racket in 1933”7
- Short and accessible book4
The best things said about it
He wrote a book called War Is a Racket. And for some reason, it's not the most famous book ever written in English, but it probably should be.
Tucker Carlson The Tucker Carlson Show · May 2025 Go read war is a racket by major general smedley d butler it's 25 pages the audiobook is 45 minutes the book tells how there were 21 000 new millionaires made between 1914 and 1918 and some of the core sold for both sides.
It's called war was a racket and this guy uh had a career in the military and got out and just said listen this is how it goes Wars a racket it always has been it's possibly the oldest easily the most profitable surely the most vicious.
Joe Rogan The Joe Rogan Experience · Mar 2013 This is like in 1933, this guy Smemedley Butler, Major General Smemedley Butler, he wrote a book called War is a Racket in 1933. Damn, that's early. 1933. That's pretty early. And he broke down how he thought he was over here to protect people, but he was really there to make, you know, make it safe for bankers or.
Joe Rogan The Joe Rogan Experience · Sep 2025 War is a racket i want to say it's 19 it's in the 1930s and he wrote this 35 eerily accurate account of what we're dealing with today.
And so he also wrote a book that nobody really talks about and it's called War Is a Racket and it's a very small pamphlet.
Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
3
3
2
3
1
4
1
9
2
How it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
13 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
War Is a Racket is a sharp, compact 1933 critique of military intervention and financial profiteering written by Major General Smedley D. Butler. The book argues that armed conflicts are largely driven by corporate interests and greed, resulting in massive corporate wealth while ordinary soldiers suffer and die. The book's themes and lessons were frequently brought up across numerous episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience. Joe Rogan repeatedly recommended the short read to various guests, including Jesse Welles and AJ Gentile, while pointing out its historical relevance regarding government overthrows and business ventures. Ian Carroll also enthusiastically endorsed the book on the same podcast, telling listeners that it is a brief and essential online purchase. Bert Kreischer discussed the classic text with Rogan, and a caller on Timcast IRL hosted by Tim Pool similarly prompted listeners to check out the brief 25-page volume to understand how World War I generated thousands of new millionaires. Additionally, Kyle Kulinski referenced Butler's famous phrase on The Joe Rogan Experience, noting how war functions as a lucrative business model. Years earlier, Rogan had similarly praised Smedley D. Butler's anti-war publication when speaking with Aubrey Marcus, cementing its enduring reputation among podcast guests as a concise, highly effective expose on the hidden financial motives behind global conflicts.
Every mention
Joe Rogan Did you ever read um that War is a racket? Smmedley Butler Butler. Did you ever read it? No. It's really go… 13
Discussed
“This is like in 1933, this guy Smemedley Butler, Major General Smemedley Butler, he wrote a book called War is a Racket in 1933. Damn, that's early. 1933. That's pretty early. And he broke down how he thought he was over here to protect people, but he was really there to make, you know, make it safe for bankers or”
Recommended
“Did you ever read um that War is a racket? Smmedley Butler Butler. Did you ever read it? No. It's really good. It's not long.”
Discussed
“you go back to Smemedley Butler's book that he wrote in 1933 called war is a racket like it was like he was talking about uncovering conspiracies as a retired major general”
Recommended
“you know, probably during the 40s, maybe even before because if you read Wars a Racket by Smemedley Butler, that was 33. General Butler.”
Discussed
“how much did you ever read Smedley Butler's War as a racket yeah dude so that was 33”
Discussed
“I mean that is uh literally Smedley Butler's 1933 uh story that he wrote article he wrote War is a racket have you ever read that Joe war is a racket”
Discussed
“and then uh schmedley butler you know that uh you know that uh piece that that guy wrote war's a racket did you ever read that”
Discussed
“so then you get guys like schmedley Butler who in the 1930s wrote a book called war is a racket”
Discussed
“well that's uh smedley butler right that's what he's rightly butler yeah where's your racket that is that's really the extent of his argument or his article rather is when he wrote that he thought when he first enlisted into the army and by the way i believe that's 33. what year was that smedley butler war is a racket”
Recommended
“were you know war is a racket a Smedley Butler said you can make a lot of money going down this road so that's Smedley Butler war is a racket”
Discussed
“did you ever read that um uh Smedley Butler uh thing he wrote he was a general in like 1935 he wrote Wars I think we both know”
Recommended
“that schmedley Butler article that was written in the 1930s war is a racket you know amazing amazing article”
Discussed
“it's called war was a racket and this guy uh had a career in the military and got out and just said listen this is how it goes Wars a racket it always has been it's possibly the oldest easily the most profitable surely the most vicious”
Kyle Kulinski a Smedley Butler said you can make a lot of money going down this road so that's Smedley Butler war is a ra… 2
Discussed
“war is a racket i want to say it's 19 it's in the 1930s and he wrote this 35 eerily accurate account of what we're dealing with today”
Recommended
“a Smedley Butler said you can make a lot of money going down this road so that's Smedley Butler war is a racket”
Bert Kreischer literally Smedley Butler's 1933 uh story that he wrote article he wrote War is a racket Have you ever read… 1
Recommended
“literally Smedley Butler's 1933 uh story that he wrote article he wrote War is a racket Have you ever read that Joe war is a racket”
Ian Carroll yes war is a racket is a relatively short book that anyone can buy online and I highly recommend it to ever… 1
Recommended
“yes war is a racket is a relatively short book that anyone can buy online and I highly recommend it to everyone”
Tim Pool go read war is a racket by major general smedley d butler it's 25 pages the audiobook is 45 minutes the boo… 1
Recommended
“go read war is a racket by major general smedley d butler it's 25 pages the audiobook is 45 minutes the book tells how there were 21 000 new millionaires made between 1914 and 1918 and some of the core sold for both sides”
AJ Pasciuti And so he also wrote a book that nobody really talks about and it's called War is a Racket and it's a very… 1
Discussed
“And so he also wrote a book that nobody really talks about and it's called War is a Racket and it's a very small pamphlet”
Billy Carson and you know Smedley Butler wrote about it in 1933 war is a racket 1
Discussed
“and you know Smedley Butler wrote about it in 1933 war is a racket”
Emily Jashinsky He said in one of our first interviews that his hero is Smedley Butler, who committed far more atrocities t… 1
Discussed
“He said in one of our first interviews that his hero is Smedley Butler, who committed far more atrocities than um than uh maybe anybody. Good lord. Like Nicaragua, Honduras, Haiti, like China, Philippines. China, Philip- on and on. Like across the world. Yeah. And then wrote War Is a Racket in the 1930s, which really birthed the a real”
Jimmy Dore there's that book uh uh war is a racket by Smedley Butler I mean he talked about this in the 30s 1
Discussed
“there's that book uh uh war is a racket by Smedley Butler I mean he talked about this in the 30s”
Matt Farah and this guy Smedley Butler wrote a book in 1935 called like wars around Wars Iraqi 1
Discussed
“and this guy Smedley Butler wrote a book in 1935 called like wars around Wars Iraqi”
Mike Benz So I mean this is what war is a racket was about. If you know the smmedley Butler 1936 you know book about… 1
Discussed
“So I mean this is what war is a racket was about. If you know the smmedley Butler 1936 you know book about how you know all the major multinational corporations were on the take for World War I.”
Robert Evans Um in 1935 he publishes a short book based on a series of speeches he deliver he starts traveling around th… 1
Discussed
“Um in 1935 he publishes a short book based on a series of speeches he deliver he starts traveling around the country delivering speeches a speech titled War is a Racket.”
Tucker Carlson So that you brought a book um by Smemedley Darlington Butler, the most decorated marine in World War I. He'… 1
Discussed
“So that you brought a book um by Smemedley Darlington Butler, the most decorated marine in World War I. He's a Marine general. He won two Medals of Honor. Um and he wrote a book called War is a Racket. And for some reason, it's not the most famous book ever written in English, but it probably should be.”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker2
Discussed
“Butler Vietnam uh decorated purple heart uh like the Vietnam is probably who wrote the book War as a racket would probably be okay with that.”
Discussed
“but and so there's there's that book uh uh war is a racket by Smedley Butler I mean he talked about this in the 30s”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing
“like the Marine Vietnam is probably who wrote the book War as a racket would probably be okay with that.”
Passing
“and hey by the way bro we saw that you read war is a racket walk carefully”