War Is a Racket
War Is a Racket by Smedley Butlerby Smedley Butler
Hacker ApprovedShares rank 20 of 152 nonfiction books by recommenders
People recommend it as a short, direct first-person account by Marine Major General Smedley Butler on how war serves profit. No critics raised a complaint.
People recommend it as a short, direct first-person account by Marine Major General Smedley Butler on how war serves profit. No critics raised a complaint.
11 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 11
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 11 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Firsthand account by a Marine general
“Major General Smedley D. Butler spelled this out for all of us quite clearly in his book War is a Racket.”
Comment from 23 Feb 2026 in “US Gov Deploys Grok as Nutrition Bot, It Advises for Rectal Use of Vegetables” “for the first person account”
Comment from 5 Mar 2026 in “It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country (1921)” “There is Butler's own book”
Comment from 29 Dec 2025 in “US Confirms Strike on 'Big Facility' Inside Venezuela” Clear, short and eye-opening
“Major General Smedley D. Butler spelled this out for all of us quite clearly in his book War is a Racket.”
Comment from 23 Feb 2026 in “US Gov Deploys Grok as Nutrition Bot, It Advises for Rectal Use of Vegetables” “The Smedly Butler book was eye opening to read for me.”
Comment from 10 Apr 2026 in “Nowhere Is Safe” “It's a tiny book and to the point.”
Comment from 1 Mar 2026 in “War Is a Racket (Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler, USMC)”
Other nonfiction books people recommend
The four most recommended other nonfiction books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cuckoo's Eggby Clifford Stoll | 40 | 0 | 100% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Amusing Ourselves to Deathby Neil Postman | 36 | 0 | 100% | 9 | 1 yr3 owners | Approved |
| The Anxious Generationby Jonathan Haidt | 24 | 12 | 67% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Bullshit Jobsby David Graeber | 20 | 12 | 63% | 8 | — | — |
| War Is a Racketby Smedley ButlerThis page | 11 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | Approved |
What people said
8 of the 12 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I don't need a 13 page pamphlet to convince me that people are motivated by making money.”
“The Smedly Butler book was eye opening to read for me.”
“for the first person account”
“He has been a long time hero of mine.”
“It's a tiny book and to the point.”
“read what Smedley Butler said in "War is a Racket"”
“Major General Smedley D. Butler spelled this out for all of us quite clearly in his book War is a Racket.”
“There is Butler's own book”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.