Dwight Eisenhower
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| Born | David Dwight Eisenhower October 14, 1890 Denison, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | March 28, 1969 Walter Reed General Hospital, Washington DC, U.S. |
| Alma mater | U.S. Military Academy |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
| Children | Doud Eisenhower, John Eisenhower |
| Spouse | Mamie Doud |
| Interests | Military-industrial-congressional complex |
| Party | Republican |
Former five-star general, supreme commander of NATO, Eisenhower was the US President who notably warned that "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence... by the military–industrial complex." | |
Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower was a five-star general in the US Army during World War II and was Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe. He was the first supreme commander of NATO from 1951 – May 30, 1952, and US President from January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961. Towards the end of his life, he became increasingly concerned about the activities of the CIA, and in his now famous farewell speech, he warned against the dangers of the "military–industrial complex."
The Chance for Peace
In his first public address to the US People, Eisenhower demonstrated that he was no puppet of the perpetual war machine, stating in his "Cross Of Iron" speech: {{#subobject: |Has superobject=Dwight Eisenhower |Has objectClass=Quotation |Has author=Dwight D. Eisenhower|+sep=, |Has text=“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.
The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people.
This is, I repeat, the best way of life to be found on the road the world has been taking. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron. These plain and cruel truths define the peril and point the hope that come with this spring of 1953.” |Is about=Dwight Eisenhower,Military-industrial-congressional complex, perpetual war|+sep=, |Has wikipediaPage= |Has location=|+sep=, |Has publicationDate=April 16, 1953 |Sourced from=Archive.org |Has sourceDetails= |Has sourceTitle= |Has sourceName=Archive.org |Has sourceURL=https://archive.org/details/dde_1953_0416
}}
“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.
The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people.
This is, I repeat, the best way of life to be found on the road the world has been taking. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron. These plain and cruel truths define the peril and point the hope that come with this spring of 1953.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower (April 16, 1953) [1]
Activities
In 1960, Eisenhower authorised the assassination of Patrice Lumumba and attempted to assassinate Fidel Castro.[2] operation 40 would later take part in the JFK assassination.
The "Military–Industrial Complex" warning
- Full article: Military-industrial-congressional complex
- Full article: Military-industrial-congressional complex
On January 17, 1961, Eisenhower gave his final televised Address to the Nation from the Oval Office. In his farewell speech, Eisenhower raised the issue of the Cold War and role of the U.S. armed forces. Referring to government spending proposals he warned that "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex."[3]
He elaborated, "we recognize the imperative need for this development... the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist... 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."[3]
Connections
His granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower, attended the 2001 Bilderberg.