Eisenhower was a Republican!
From Eisenhower’s farewell speech…
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. To strive for less would be unworthy of a free and religious people. Any failure traceable to arrogance, or our lack of comprehension or readiness to sacrifice would inflict upon us grievous hurt both at home and abroad.
…and…
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.
…followed immediately thereafter by…
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.
Keep in mind that Eisenhower was a five-star general, folks.
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6 Comments
Andrew
July 30th, 2006
at 1:34pm
Don’t forget to put it in context–he knew it was needed.
The paragraph before you quoted him: “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.”
Michael Markman
July 30th, 2006
at 2:39pm
Well, at least one danger that Ike warned about has been avoided by the current administration:
“Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.”
Andrew
July 30th, 2006
at 7:21pm
Chris,
I liked it better when you stuck to tech stuff.
Sara
July 31st, 2006
at 2:26pm
The farewell speech was written by Malcolm Moos, a Republican who either was at the time or became president of the University of Minnesota., which is why the speech has a certain acadmic “flavor” .
Ike was considered to be a moderate Republican; the proto-fascists who run the show today would consider him to be unacceptably liberal. They’re not interested in liberty, only in what they perceive to be our “national security”.
They would laugh themselves silly over: “so that security & liberty may prosper together.”
David
August 1st, 2006
at 10:30am
God, the old republicans seem fantastic right about now! Even Nixon would be refreshingly liberal. Hell, I might even wax nostalgic about living in the age of ye ol’ Gipper…
I hope poor Andrew doesn’t go away mad.
Living in a tech-world isolates us from certain realities. My father is/was a pro-military, NASA loving, tech-inspired guy. That steeped me in a certain illusory frame of mind. We were lured by visions of progress and a dream-like American future. Star Trek comes to mind for some reason.
It’s painful waking from this coma. It took all my 20’s just to get a grip on how we got duped.
ben macwhinnie
May 21st, 2008
at 8:26am
i live in england so i cant really talk about america much :(