Loading ...Comment: Were they responsible for the Invasion of Iran? And Iraq and Afghanistan, and all the others?
Found on ChatGPT
President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned about the growing power of what he called the “military-industrial complex” in his farewell address on January 17, 1961.
The key passage was:
“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.”
He continued:
“The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”
And then:
“We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted.”
He also warned that the nation had become permanently involved in a huge defense establishment and arms industry:
“This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience.”
Eisenhower’s broader point was that defense spending and military preparedness were necessary, but the enormous permanent alliance between the Pentagon, defense contractors, and political power could become so influential that it might distort national priorities and threaten democratic government.
Interestingly, he also warned about the growing influence of science and government funding, saying:
“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.”
His speech is often remembered mainly for “military-industrial complex,” but his warning was broader: he was concerned about power becoming concentrated in large institutions—military, industrial, scientific, and governmental.