President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Farewell Address of January 17, 1961 included his oft-cited warning of the new “military-industrial complex” that was burgeoning after the Korean War and into the Cold War: “This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence – economic, political, even spiritual – is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office in the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources, and livelihood are all involved. So is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledge 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.” Those who favor cuts in the U.S. military budget happily refer to the Republican Eisenhower’s warning. Here I want to highlight Eisenhower’s mention of the “spiritual” effect of the steadily increasing militarization of the United States of America.
As Eisenhower pointed out, the “conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry [was] new in the American experience.” Over the past half century, the U.S. has only increased its ongoing military capabilities such that vast numbers of people throughout U.S. society have been in the military, had family members in the military, worked directly for the military, worked as military contractors, and grown accustomed to viewing the U.S.’s relationship with the rest of the world through military lenses. In Ike's words, one of the "grave implications" of increased militarization has infiltrated "the very structure of our society."
Spiritually, it thus seems to have become instinctive for the vast majority of U.S. Americans to react to irregular actions toward such national symbols as the flag and national anthem as disrespectful attacks against the U.S. military. This brief article will be viewed by many readers as a similar disrespectful attack against the U.S. military. Such an attack is not at all my intent here, just as many of those who in recent days have displayed irregular actions toward national symbols have tried to insist as well. Rather, I am wanting to point out the spiritual, psychological, and collective societal effect against which Eisenhower warned, over half a century earlier, could happen. The assumption that those who do not “behave properly” toward national symbols are thereby being disrespectful toward men and women who have been in the military has become so self-evident to many U.S. Americans that any other explanation has become inconceivable.
If you have never viewed Eisenhower’s 16-minute address, I encourage you to do so, e.g., at https://www.c-span.org/video/?15026-1/president-dwight-eisenhower-farewell-address. At the beginning, you might (regardless of your current political persuasion) crack a smile at Eisenhower’s expression of gratitude to the media for their assistance throughout the years. There are other matters he addresses beside the “military-industrial complex” issue, although that one certainly stands out. The pre-Civil Rights, racially segregated situation of 1961 should be remembered, I believe. So should the civility and respect with which the outgoing President speaks - a welcome spirit in comparison to much U.S. public interaction today.
Any thoughts or comments you would like to offer are welcome. Thank you for visiting “Worldwide Witnesses”!
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