History Buffs: Smedley Butler

[Barefootsies]

After the last interesting historical discussion, I figured I would throw this one out there for some debate. I had stumbled across this little gem, and have been trying to dig up some historical discussions for both sides of the issue. Perhaps you have some foot notes.

The Business Plot (also the Plot Against FDR and the White House Putsch) was an alleged political conspiracy in 1933. Retired Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler claimed that wealthy businessmen were plotting to create a fascist veterans' organization and use it in a coup d?état to overthrow United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, with Butler as leader of that organization. In 1934 Butler testified to the McCormack?Dickstein Congressional committee on these claims.[1] In the opinion of the committee, these allegations were credible.[2] No one was prosecuted.

The BBC's online précis for its documentary program The White House Coup, said "The coup was aimed at toppling President Franklin D. Roosevelt with the help of half-a-million war veterans."[22] In that documentary, author and conspiracy theorist[52] John Buchanan said, "The investigations mysteriously turned to vapor when it comes time to call them to testify. FDR's main interest was getting the New Deal passed, and so he struck a deal in which it was agreed that the plotters would walk free if Wall Street would back off of their opposition to the New Deal and let FDR do what he wanted".[22] The program connected major companies to the American Liberty League, formed by Al Smith, who, the program asserted, was to be the fascist ruler.[53]

Those who were named and apparently involved:

* DuPont Family
* Leaders of U.S. Steel
* Heinz
* Standard Oil
* General Motors
* Chase National Bank
* Goodyear Tires
* Prescott Bush

The goal... to beat the great depression.

[Coup]

smedley was a slave to the system