Ike warned of 'military-industrial complex' 50 years ago

[Joanne98]

Today is the 50th anniversary of a very historic White House speech, one that resonates to this day: Dwight Eisenhower's warning against "the military-industrial complex."

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex," Ike said that night. "The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."

As a general, Eisenhower led the U.S. to victory in World War II. As president, he presided over an era of unprecedented prosperity, one also shadowed by nuclear weapons, Cold War rivalry with the Soviet Union, civil rights abuses at home, and concerns about America's proper role in the world.

Eisenhower, days from being replaced by John F. Kennedy, tapped a sense of anxiety in his farewell address of Jan. 17, 1961, noting the nation now had "a permanent armaments industry" and warning not to let it threaten democratic liberty.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/01/ike-warned-of-military-industrial-complex-50-years-ago/1

[RC]

1. Not enough people listened and look where we are now.

[Kolesar]

2. The British objected to a "standing army" because the military could turn and take over the country

Or so I gathered.

[jwirr]

3. We may not have had an over throw of the government here but we

certainly have had a take over when it comes to the budget. Also the British Empires is one of the ones we look at when talking about overstretch so they learned their lesson.

[fatbuckel]

4. Originally he called it the military industrial congressional complex