Reason #82: The Military-Industrial Complex - Ike Warned Us!

When I was a young 2^nd Lieutenant stationed at Camp Gordon in Georgia, a friend and I snuck onto Augusta National Golf Course and I introduced myself to President Eisenhower. I still remember the thrill of meeting Ike, the sense, lingering to this day, that I was the luckiest man alive. The former general was congenial. He greeted us warmly, saluted us (we were in uniform), then gently sent us on our way.

In my opinion, Eisenhower was our last truly independent president, as he was not beholden to particular factions or special interests. What was best for America was best for him, whether politicos called it leftist, rightist, or centrist. During his final days as president, the former five-star general even took on the very military that had made him famous.

In his farewell speech to the nation, Ike warned that the “the military industrial complex,” or the “conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry,” was threatening the foundations of our democracy. Even back in 1961, Eisenhower feared that this two headed, profit-driven monster, if left unchecked, would transform us into an imperial power, an expansive World Boss that bullied weaker powers and constantly meddled in other peoples’ affairs. And all his warnings have proven prophetic. We’re the world’s only superpower, with bases and troops all over the globe.

Ike would be rolling over in his grave if he knew the extent to which his prophecy has come true. Indeed, the Pentagon and private industry have virtually combined now to form what Steven Ambrose called in his book Ike’s Spies, “a conspiracy to rule the world for the benefit of American Corporations.”

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