Ep. 354: Life Lessons From General Smedley Butler, the (first) Jan. 6 Coup Plot, and How War is a Racket

Jonathan Katz is the author of the new book Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America's Empire. His essays and other writing have appeared in such leading publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, the New Republic, The Guardian, Mother Jones and Foreign Policy.

He is also a recipient of the James Foley/Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism.

Jonathan explains the parallels between Donald Trump and his cabal’s coup attempt on Jan. 6, 2021 and the “Business Plot” against President Roosevelt in the 1930s. He also warns that the alliance and attraction between the moneyed classes and fascism and other forms of authoritarianism are nothing new in American life.

He also shares how legendary Marine Corps General Smedley Butler went from being a gangster for capitalism and an enforcer of American empire to a person of conscience – and the lessons we can all learn from that transformation in this dark time of democracy crisis and ascendant fascism and other forms of inhumanity.

Jonathan and Chauncey also reflect on what they learned from their health crises about life, vocation, and managing trauma and fear.

Chauncey DeVega cuts a much-deserved promo on the hope peddlers, happy pill sellers, and other members of the commentariot and political class who continue to live in an alternate universe of narcissistic denial, delusion, and happy endings that minimizes the existential danger represented by Donald Trump and the Republican-fascists and their movement.

And Chauncey shares an update on his health journey, trials and tribulations, realizations, luck, and what it means to get your bounce back.

SELECTED LINKS OF INTEREST FOR THIS EPISODE OF THE CHAUNCEY DEVEGA SHOW

• Trump suggests Clinton campaign staffers should be put to death — and demands 'reparations'
• Oath Keepers leader confirms group was expecting Trump to impose martial law on Jan. 6
• Michael Flynn Is Still at War
• At last the Republican Party comes clean: It stands for terrorism and Trump, against democracy
• Donald Trump's fantasies of racial violence reflect an all-too-real history
• Republicans have dropped the mask — they openly support fascism. What do we do about it?
• Monkey 'queen' led a violent coup to become her troop's first female leader. Now her reign is in jeopardy

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Music at the end of this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show is by JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound. You can listen to some of their great music on Spotify.