I almost decided to mention that earlier/above. I’m not convinced yet that Russ Baker isn’t a little off the deep end overall, but that whole story certainly is a fascinating and disturbing read, as is much of the material on his site.

Prescott also had business ties with the Nazis as well, iirc. Though it feels like most big businessmen of that era did.

Lucky for us, they thought Smedley Butler was the one to lead the US fascist movement but he became “woke” after serving in the military for decades:

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 1902-1912. 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. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.

• Smedley D. Butler, War is a Racket