My man Smedley

I'd long admired Smedley Butler (even before moving to Philadelphia) for winning the Congressional Medal of Honor, not just once but twice (something no one's done since, and only the famed Dan Daly had done before), but the man had a lot more to say about things.
Once here, I discovered his bronze plaque, complete with shiny nose, up on the wall in the lower level of City Hall, and would salute it every time I passed by. That was before I'd read The Plot to Seize the White House by Jules Archer; now there are so many more reasons to salute Old Gimlet Eye...

(Emphasis added below for obvious reasons)

"See that our Congress writes into law a command that no American soldier, sailor, or Marine be used for any purpose except to protect the coastline of the United States, and protect his home, and I mean his home, not a British investment in China, not a sugar plantation in Cuba, not a silver mine in Mexico, not a glass factory in Japan, not an American-owned share of stock in a European factory, not an oil well in Iraq, in short, not an American investment anywhere except at home! Let Congress say to all those who invest overseas: "Come on home or let your money stay out of the country, we will not defend it."
from The Plot to Seize the White House by Jules Archer

He was asked how long he estimated it would take to train a man to fight. "Well, if you want to send him three thousand miles away to fight, at least six months' training will be required. If you want him to defend his home, it will take about an hour."
from The Plot to Seize the White House by Jules Archer

Smedley also famously said:
"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico, and especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1902 through 1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints."

Gotta love a guy like that.
Next time you're in Philly, walk through City Hall and salute a great patriot, a great Marine, and a great American: Smedley Darlington Butler. Oh, yeah, and give his nose a rub for me... (Though it seems, as of the last time I walked past there the other day, they're polishing the whole plaque now, not just the nose. But do keep old Smedley's nose buffed up, okay?)