Smedley: A Real Maverick

We have a sneaking suspicion that a certain Senator--who, for some reason has been labeled a "maverick" by the mainstream media--will be getting even more attention from the mainstream media over the next few months.

Which is why we find ourselves thinking about the true meaning of the word--maverick.

Have you ever heard of General Smedley Butler? His nickname was "Maverick Marine"--and was he ever an interesting figure in American history:

The military career of Marine Corps General Smedley Butler reads like a history of American foreign military intervention in the late 19th and early 20th century. He served in practically every campaign from the Spanish American War, both in Cuba and the Philippines, to the U.S. expedition in China in the late 1920's. Starting as a 16 year old recruit he became the 2nd highest ranking general in the Corps and was awarded two Congressional Medals of Honor along the way.

However, Butler's career was even more remarkable after his retirement. In the 1930's, General Butler became the most celebrated anti-imperialist in America. From the public platform and on radio and in print Butler denounced America's foreign military interventions as a government racket to enrich large well connected corporations.

MDR Talk: History Counts aired a great radio show about this TRUE maverick 0n January 6th--and no, you can't get the show here in the High Country--but you can stream it here (scroll down to the Jan. 6th show). The show is carried on WPKN and WPKM in Connecticut and New York.

What does it take to be a maverick? Probably not a statement like this--just ask Smedley.