Guns Versus Butter Model - Quoted Usage of Term

Quoted Usage of Term

Perhaps the best known actual usage (in translation) was in Nazi Germany. In a speech on January 17, 1936, Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels stated: "We can do without butter, but, despite all our love of peace, not without arms. One cannot shoot with butter, but with guns." Sometime in the summer of the same year, Hermann Göring announced in a speech, "Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat."

Another use of the term was Margaret Thatcher's reference in a speech that, "The Soviets put guns over butter, but we put almost everything over guns."

This metaphor served as the title for an episode ("Guns Not Butter") in season 4 of the hit TV show The West Wing (1999–2006) that focused on the portion of the federal budget devoted to foreign aid.

The song "Guns Before Butter" by Gang of Four from their 1979 album Entertainment! is about this concept.

In the 2001 film Baby Boy starring Tyrese Gibson and Snoop Dogg, the character Melvin breaks down the differences of guns and butter to Jody and Sweetpea.

Lyndon B. Johnson used the phrase to catch the attention of the national media while reporting on the state of national defense as chairman of a Senate committee.

More recently, Vladimir Putin reintroduced the concept to defend military actions in response to criticisms that surfaced during his 2004 re-election campaign.

Prodigy's 1997 album The Fat Of The Land has the following text on the fold-out booklet: "We have no butter, but I ask you /Would you rather have butter or guns? /Shall we import lard or steel? Let me tell you /Preparedness makes us powerful. /Butter merely makes us fat."