A small-scale whai-if - Smedley Butler does not turn dissident antiwar activist?

raharris1973

Gone Fishin'
Donor
Monthly Donor
Any consequences for US politics and policy is Smedley retires as an obedient jarhead, either proud of his record or politically inactive?
 

Delta Force

Banned
He actually wasn't that far from the mainstream of the Republican Party. The Republican Party was the party of non-interventionism in the 1930s. It only came to have the military views it has today after the Berlin Blockade, collapse of the RoC, and Korean War. The Republican Party of the 1930s (much like libertarians today) is closer to socialists in international views. He wasn't trying to be ironic when he ran as a Republican.
 
Any consequences for US politics and policy is Smedley retires as an obedient jarhead, either proud of his record or politically inactive?

Scariest possibility is if he buys off on the "Businessmens Plot" and actually tries to lead a coup vs Roosevelt. While I doubt such a thing would suceed it would not serve to keep nerves soothed in the worst years of the Depression.

He actually wasn't that far from the mainstream of the Republican Party. The Republican Party was the party of non-interventionism in the 1930s. It only came to have the military views it has today after the Berlin Blockade, collapse of the RoC, and Korean War. The Republican Party of the 1930s (much like libertarians today) is closer to socialists in international views. He wasn't trying to be ironic when he ran as a Republican.

Yes and no. We do have to note the Bannana Wars were at their height during the administration of Republican Presidents. Coolidge & Hoover bought off on the continuing Hatian intervention, Marines landing in the Dominican Republic, and the extended Nicaruaguan war occured in the Coolidge/Hoover years. Both the 4th Marine and Army 15th Regiments were in China under Coolidge/Hoover, and a extra Brigade of Marines briefly sent to Shanghai China during 1927/28. All that was closed out fairly quickly after Roosevelt became President and intervention more or less ceased until Japans war with China started to influence US thinking.
 
Yes and no. We do have to note the Bannana Wars were at their height during the administration of Republican Presidents.

after the Great Depression hit, many South and Latin American countries had coups where Rightist, Authoritarian Juntas took over.

No need then, for US interventions, since most were simpatico with US corporate interests.

do you really think that FDR wouldn't have sent troops to Cuba had a *Castro started a successful looking Leftist Revolution in say, 1934?
 
after the Great Depression hit, many South and Latin American countries had coups where Rightist, Authoritarian Juntas took over.

No need then, for US interventions, since most were simpatico with US corporate interests.

You lost me here. Are you trying to support my point about Republican politicians favoring the Bannana Wars.

do you really think that FDR wouldn't have sent troops to Cuba had a *Castro started a successful looking Leftist Revolution in say, 1934?

No, why do you seem to believe I think that?
 
You lost me here. Are you trying to support my point about Republican politicians favoring the Bannana Wars.

The most of the '20's when the interventions were desired by corporate interests, an 'R' had his butt in the Oval Office already.

in the '30's, when a 'D' was there, there was no need for interventions.

My point is whomever was sitting at that Desk pre-Pottsdam, would have sent in the Marines, D or R.

Wilson sent the Marines to Haiti.

then the Dominican Republic

then the Army to Mexico.

And that was from a guy who talked ill of Taft's 'Dollar Diplomacy'
 
Top