In the early 20th century, the American military was sent to Central America to keep the fruit plantations from striking in what is called the Banana Wars. Fruit companies in the United States needed to keep the Central American fruit plantations stable and cheap. The companies convinced the government to send the military to keep the workers from striking, forming militias, and waging rebellions for better working conditions and freedom. Thousands of locals and hundreds of American military members died.

US Marine Corps Major General, Smedley Butler, was one of the most active military officers during the war. Twenty years after the war, he described himself as “a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers…a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism”.