Eisenhower Warns Of Military
As early as 1959, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the sole general to be elected president in the 20th century, began to work with his younger brother Milton, president of Johns Hopkins University, and Malcolm Moos, his chief speechwriter, to create his final statement as he left public life. | AFP/Getty Images
01/17/2019 12:06 AM EST
On this day in 1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president, delivered a farewell address in which he warned the nation about the corrupting influence of the military-industrial complex.
As he put it in his final televised speech:
Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense.
We have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, 3½ million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security alone more than the net income of all United States corporations.
What Ikes Military Industrial Complex Speech Didnt Say
Today is the 61st anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhowers coining of the Military Industrial Complex in his farewell address, Jan. 17, 1961. His departure and the incoming Kennedy administration would herald, at least in popular lore, the New Frontier. Three years later, the young Kennedy would be dead, an assassination forever at the center of unresolved collective disbelief and mystery. Conspiracy theories have abounded, most all of them involving some level of government cover-up in the aftermath of the assassination.
The latest tranche of declassified JFK documents in December hasnt helped, for sure. They reaffirm a level of CIA knowledge of suspected lone gunman Harvey Lee Oswald years and weeks before the assassination heretofore unknown. The CIA had long constructed a narrative, beginning during the 1964 Warren Commission investigation of Kennedys killing, that the agencys awareness of Oswald before November 22, 1963 was minimal. We know now, due to all of the documents declassified up through the last year, that the CIA was actively lying.
According to longtime CIA and Kennedy assassination biographer Jefferson Morely, the amount of info the agency had stored up on this so-called lonesome loser before that day in Dallas was more like maximal:
With People Profiting From Armaments And Their Development There Will Inevitably Be The Push For More Weapons
Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, left.
President Dwight Eisenhowers farewell address of Jan. 17, 1961, is just as relevant today as back then. Ike warned American citizens of the military-industrial complex and the dangers it presented to our nation and the world.
Eisenhower was rightly wary of the armaments industry, which at that time was relatively new. Ike knew that such a massive arms industry could dominate the nation.
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Perhaps America Home Of The Brave Simply Fears Too Much
In 1961, in his famous farewell address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned America about the military-industrial complex. He said it potentially posed a grave threat to liberty and democracy, noting that only an alert and knowledgable citizenry could keep its disastrous rise in check. In an earlier draft of his speech, Ike had included Congress as part of the complex, but he removed it from the final draft in the interest of parting with Congress on good terms.
Ike, of course, knew the military and loved it and had worked with industry as well. He knew of what he spoke. Every year when he was president, the military wanted more. So did the weapons manufacturers. And Congress was willing to give them more in the name of jobs and for that nebulous cause of national security. Ike did a decent job as president containing the ambitions of the military and the greed of Americas merchants of death. His speech in 1961 was his parting shot across the bow of the complex and a warning thats largely been forgotten by Americans then and now.
In the spirit of Ike, we should recognize the military or industry or Congress alone is not the enemy. Its the conjunction of an immense military establishment with powerful industrial interests, and the enabling of the same by Congress, that needs to be addressed and reformed.
America is the home of the brave, so we say. Isnt it time we acted like it?
President Eisenhower Warns Of Military
On January 17, 1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower ends his presidential term by warning the nation about the increasing power of the military-industrial complex.
His remarks, issued during a televised farewell address to the American people, were particularly significant since Ike had famously served the nation as military commander of the Allied forces during WWII. Eisenhower urged his successors to strike a balance between a strong national defense and diplomacy in dealing with the Soviet Union. He did not suggest arms reduction and in fact acknowledged that the bomb was an effective deterrent to nuclear war. However, cognizant that Americas peacetime defense policy had changed drastically since his military career, Eisenhower expressed concerns about the growing influence of what he termed the military-industrial complex.
Ike also recommended restraint in consumer habits, particularly with regard to the environment. “As we peer into societys future, weyou and I, and our governmentmust avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow,” he said. “We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without asking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage.”
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The Real Point Of Eisenhowers Warning About The Military
Sunday, Jan. 17, will mark the 55th anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhowers famous military-industrial complex speech. His key warning,…
ByAngry Staff Officer | Published Jan 15, 2016 10:00 AM
Sunday, Jan. 17, will mark the 55th anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhowers famous military-industrial complex speech. His key warning, In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex is what most people recall of this speech. It was taken to be a harbinger of the things that followed: the Vietnam War, massive defense spending, and increased American military involvement around the world.
But was that really the point that Eisenhower was trying to get across in his farewell address? In many ways, his address was a warning to the American people that is as timely now as it was then: The world is entering an era of persistent conflict and America must be prepared to accept that, as well as the costs of being a leader in the world community. It also must be ready and guarded to take on the dangers and pitfalls that are the flipside to having a large, modernized, and ever-developing military.
Throughout America’s adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations, Eisenhower said.
Primary Source: Eisenhower’s Military
Government spending remained high throughout the postwar era and included new investments, such as President Eisenhowerâs Interstate Highway System at the federal level and the California Master Plan for Higher Education at the state level. Spending on defense remained high as well. This spending led to the growth of both new and existing industries that affected the American economy and society for decades, including the rise of the aerospace and computer industries in California. Eisenhower and others were disturbed by the continued growth in government spending on military and technology. Before Eisenhower left office, he warned Americans about the rise of a âmilitaryâindustrial
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Who Was Eisenhowers Speech Writer
Moos joined President Eisenhowers staff as a special assistant in 1957 and became his chief speech writer in 1958. Among the many speeches Moos wrote for President Eisenhower, he wrote Eisenhowers valedictory speech which warned of the influence of the military-industrial complex in 1961.
What does Eisenhower mean by a military industrial complex and why does he warn against it quizlet?
In Dwight D. Eisenhowers farewell speech to the nation the retiring president warned of the dangers of allowing a Military-Industrial Complex to take control of the United States. The Military-Industrial Complex is a term that denotes a symbiotic relationship between a nations military, economy, and politics.
Which is the best definition of the word warning?
Definition of warning 1 : the act of warning : the state of being warned he had warning of his illness 2 : something that warns or serves to warn especially : a notice or bulletin that alerts the public to an imminent hazard
Which is an example of an impromptu speech?
The impromptu speech. This is a speech that has no advanced planning or practice, like a toast at a wedding. The extemporaneous speech involves the speakers use of notes and some embellishment to deliver a speech.
Is there a fourth type of speech delivery?
Last Night Trumps Speech Was A Well Constructed Cover For Operations About To Be Done Or Ones That Are Happening Now In My View As President And Commander In Chief He Is In Perhaps The Best Position He Could Want Everything They Do Is Hidden From The People Except What They Want You To See And They Can Let The Biden Show Distract The Critics Endlessly While They Get Things Done In The Shadows He Appeared Overly Relaxed And Happy To Appear To Play The Game While Covering His Ass So That If The Deep State Wants To Arrest Him They Are Going To Have A Hard Time Doing So While He Is Running For The Next Two Years For An Office He Already Has
The only people he disappoints are the MAGA group and we must be content with the crumbs distributed by journalists and spokesman like Juan O Savin and SGanon,
Its the epitome of a SHADOW GOVERNMENT. falling in love with operating in the shadows and getting things done out of the public eye.
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What Did Eisenhower Warn Us About
Despite his military background and being the only general to be elected president in the 20th century, he warned the nation with regard to the corrupting influence of what he describes as the military-industrial complex. Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry.
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As early as 1959, Eisenhower, the sole general to be elected president in the 20th century, began to work with his younger brother Milton, president of Johns Hopkins University, and Malcolm Moos, his chief speechwriter, to create his final statement as he left public life. According to Susan Eisenhower, his granddaughter, the 1,800-word speech went through at least 21 drafts, marking a solemn moment in a decidedly unsolemn time, warning a nation giddy with prosperity, infatuated with youth and glamour, and aiming increasingly for the easy life.
Eisenhower had served in the White House for two full terms. He was the first president to be limited by an amendment to the U.S. Constitution from seeking reelection. The 1960 election had resulted in the defeat of Richard M. Nixon, his vice president, by Sen. John F. Kennedy . In three days time, the oldest American president in a century would hand the reins of presidential power to the youngest one ever elected.
SOURCE: This Day in Presidential History, by Paul Brandus
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He Told You So: President Eisenhowers Military
Today is the 55th anniversary of a remarkable event: an American president, a former general no less, speaking to the nation about how the country was being held hostage by an undemocratic alliance he called the military-industrial complex.
Thats a theme you hear regularly here at WhoWhatWhy. We not only explore the continued domination of this country by these elements, we also look at how the corporate media discourages us from even talking about it.
Its well worth watching Ikes bold talk. So here it is:
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Some background on the speech from the National Archives
On January 18, 2011 the Newseum hosted a panel discussion on the historic and contemporary relevance of President Dwight D. Eisenhowers famous Farewell Address.
Part 1
Part 2
And here are some articles to provide an update on what has happened since Ike warned us:
Eisenhowers Farewell Address :
Good evening, my fellow Americans.
First, I should like to express my gratitude to the radio and television networks for the opportunities they have given me, over the years, to bring reports and messages to our nation.
My special thanks go to them for the opportunity of addressing you this evening.
Three days from now, after half a century in the service of our country, I shall lay down the responsibilities of office as, in traditional and solemn ceremony, the authority of the Presidency is vested in my successor.
Now, on Friday noon I am to become a private citizen. I am proud to do so. I look forward to it.
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Ike Was Wrong: The Military
Eisenhowers speech, principally aimed at tamping down the shrill and untrue claims of the famous missile gap, perhaps unintentionally stoked the historic fire of populism that distrusted the private sector and feared wartime profiteering. His words would be used to destroy the very defense innovation system he had helped create and shepherd.
President Eisenhower sat down before television cameras and delivered his farewell speech to the nation some 60 years ago, a speech that became famous for one trope beware the Military-Industrial Complex.
In this landmark speech, one of the nations most revered warriors called for balance in the nations affairs: Good judgment seeks balance and progress lack of it eventually finds imbalance and frustration. But what is most remembered is that he also warned the nation of the potential for collusion between portions of the state and the defense industry: In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
But Eisenhowers speech has become known for that one phrase and much has been ascribed to it. But the speech reportedly went through at least 30 edits over almost 18 months and it changed as circumstances did.
Th Anniversary Of Eisenhower’s ‘military
Take 10 minutes. Read Dwight Eisenhower’s Farewell Speech, to the nation, delivered 50 years ago yesterday. You’ll be stunned.
You’ll be stunned by its intellectual courage. If your impression of Eisenhower is limited to his military leadership during World War II, and the perceived conformity and deadening of American culture during the “Eisenhower Era,” you’ll find much here to radically alter your thinking about him, and his Leave it to Beaver brand.
The guts of the speech are contained in these lines, which represent some of the bravest and most prescient words and thoughts ever uttered by an American president:
This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved so is the very structure of our society.
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
“We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.”
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President Dwight Eisenhower Farewell Address
President Dwight Eisenhower spoke to the nation in a farewell address. The address, sometimes referred to as the “Military-Industrial Complex Speech”, is considered by some to be one of the most significant speeches of the Eisenhower presidency.
*This text was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.
Eisenhower : The Military
Risk Management, Security and Compliance Professionnel
My fellow Americans:
Three days from now, after half a century in the service of our country, I shall lay down the responsibilities of office as, in traditional and solemn ceremony, the authority of the Presidency is vested in my successor.
This evening I come to you with a message of leave-taking and farewell, and to share a few final thoughts with you, my countrymen.
Like every other citizen, I wish the new President, and all who will labor with him, Godspeed. I pray that the coming years will be blessed with peace and prosperity for all.
Our people expect their President and the Congress to find essential agreement on issues of great moment, the wise resolution of which will better shape the future of the Nation.
My own relations with the Congress, which began on a remote and tenuous basis when, long ago, a member of the Senate appointed me to West Point, have since ranged to the intimate during the war and immediate post-war period, and, finally, to the mutually interdependent during these past eight years.
The record of many decades stands as proof that our people and their government have, in the main, understood these truths and have responded to them well, in the face of stress and threat. But threats, new in kind or degree, constantly arise. I mention two only.
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