Another shining example of manipulating the public

[Scuba]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8454125

The link above is to my earlier post, "Smedley Butler".

I was educated in the public schools K-12 plus 4 years of college. Further, I've always thought of myself as being fairly well versed in American history, politics and current events.

I served in the USAF 1970 - 1976 and upon discharge was a much changed person. My leanings had shifted from Far Right (thanks, Dad) to Far Left. This was a result of life experience and observation of events around me. The '60's had changed America, Nixon had been forced to resign, as had the criminal who served as his VP. There was optimism. I was alert and involved.

But I never heard of Smedley Butler. Not in American History K-12. Not in Political Science courses through the undergraduate 300-level. Nowhere.

Yet this man foiled a coup attempt in the United State only 30 years before my matriculation.

Nice cover up. This was probably the moment George Carlin's "900 families" decided to start Fox News.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. You know who used to discuss General Smedley Darlington Butler regularly?

"Grandpa" Al Lewis. Yeah, the actor on The Munsters. He had his own show on Pacifica Radio on WBAI in NYC. He's the one who got me to read "War Is A Racket" and he told his listeners about the attempted coupe. Listening to Grandpa was like having Howard Zinn tell you stories about history that you should know.

[dgibby]

2. I'd be willing to bet you never read that Prescott Bush

was one of the perps in that attempt,either. I know I didn't.

[tilsammans]

3. Kinda embarrassingly superficial, how I learned of Smedley Butler . . .

In my 57 years, I had never heard of Smedley Butler either. Until yesterday, when I was Googling anti-war quotes for a Memorial Day post on my Facebook page.

But now I know. :patriot:

[Bigmack]

4. I taught about Butler and the coup...

in my HS history classes. Interestingly enough, when I learned Marine Corps History in boot camp, they talked up Butler a lot, but they never mentioned the attempted coup or War is a Racket.

I also used the quote from the Commandant during the first part of my time in the Corps....

`I believe that if we had and would keep our dirty, bloody, dollar soaked fingers out of the business of these (Third World) nations so full of depressed, exploited people, they will arrive at a solution of their own. And if unfortunately their revolution must be of the violent type because the `haves' refuse to share with the `have-nots' by any peaceful method, at least what they get will be their own, and not the American style, which they don’t want and above all don’t want crammed down their throats by Americans.' –
Gen. David Shoup, United States Marine Commandant Medal of Honor recipient.

[pocoloco]

5. Semper Fi