Old Gimlet Eye: The Presidency of Smedley D Butler

President Butler would be a disaster! It is well documented that he advocated that the USA should be willing to give up/not defend Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Panama Canal!! (this is the late 1930s), stating the the US could create a continental (lower 48) defense "not even a rat could get through."

IMHO Butler would have retired a major or ltcol if it were not for the influence of his father who was a senior, then the ranking member of House Naval Affairs Committee - this got Butler plum assignments, and helped keep his first start after WWI when many reverted to prewar ranks. In fact his fathers influence operated at the beginning of his career...

For those interested read Schmidt's biography "Smedley Butler: Maverick Marine". Although Schmidt is way more sympathetic to Butler than I am he does a good job of presenting the facts of Butler's life.
 
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