Eisenhower's Warning Has Fallen on Deaf Ears
Eisenhower’s Warning Has Fallen on Deaf Ears
Junious Ricardo Stanton
In his farewell address to the nation delivered on January 17, 1961 outgoing President Dwight David Eisenhower specifically warned against what he called the acquisition of power by the Military Industrial Complex. He said, “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 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 the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades. In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government. Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been over shadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers. The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present and is gravely to be regarded.”
Eisenhower was extremely prescient in his warning and insight. His experiences as a soldier, officer and Commander in Chief while observing the conditions of his country in 1961 shaped his farewell views. He knew first hand having served for decades as a soldier rising to the position of Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during WWII the brutality and savagery of war. As Allied Commander Eisenhower authorized the relentless bombing of German civilians and he saw how the US unleashed atomic weapons on innocent Japanese civilians.
As president Eisenhower was privy to CIA plans to assassinate world leaders, destabilize countries and incite regime change around the world. He was well aware the upper echelons of the military, academia and Wall Street were colluding to make even more mischief around the world to expand the American Empire. He saw think tanks pushing pro-war policies under the guise of fighting communism, he knew the massive funds for research and technology being appropriated were designed to further a US imperialist agenda and he was well aware of the nexus between these initiatives and the plans the financial and corporate elites were hatching. He also knew the media was in on the shenanigans.
Eisenhower was fully aware of the adverse consequences that mindset would have on the American socio-economic-political system. He knew what was coming and he tried to warn us in his swansong. Sadly Eisenhower’s warning fell upon deaf ears and has over the years been drowned out by a chorus of warmongers, fear peddlers and demagogues cranking out jingoist Cold War propaganda to enrich and build the very entities Eishnhower was warning us about!
Eisenhower left office in 1961. The decade of the 1960’s was marked by the unbridled hubris, and arrogance of the US government and Military Industrial Political Complex who accelerated the escalation of US imperialism and neocolonialism around the world and a ruthless repression at home to counter opposition to the government’s pro-war policies. Eisenhower warned of the debilitating affect of the mentality behind the Military Industrial Complex “As we peer into society's future, we-you and I, and our government-must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage.”
Unfortunately Eisenhower’s message has been submerged beneath a cacophony of boisterous propaganda clamoring for incessant wars, war profiteering and power. Eisenhower was correct he just didn’t foresee the Military Industrial Complex and the media merging and colluding to prevent his message from reaching and resonating with the people. So in the fall of 2024 we find ourselves experiencing the loss of what little morality the US has left, exchanging our humanity for war profits that only benefit a cabal of psychopaths, money grubbing warmongers and their flunkies.
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posted by Junious Ricardo Stanton @ 8:41 AM
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