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The underestimated president. Cunningham examines how Ike's quiet competence was mistaken for passivity, and how his farewell address warning about the military-industrial complex was the most prescient presidential statement of the 20th century.
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Canon
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Eisenhower couldn't dismantle the military-industrial complex he had helped build. What he could do was warn the public. His farewell address was a Stoic act: accepting what he couldn't change while doing what he could — speaking the truth.
Highlights
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Eisenhower's military-industrial complex warning was the most prescient presidential statement ever made
In 1961, Ike warned that a permanent alliance between the military and the defense industry would acquire 'unwarranted influence' over American democracy. Everything since has confirmed his prediction.Was this useful?