was eisenhower correct when he stated the military industrial complex would be the downfall of the U.S.?

Answer 1

I don't think so. It's not as if the US has collapsed.

Answer 2

Well, Eisenhower didn't say the MIC would necessarily be the downfall of our country. What he did say--and history has proen him to be correct--is that it can--and does--undercut the democratic process and create a set o fvested interests that have militarism as a profitable and hterefore appealing social force.

The real question--over the next 50 years or so--is going to be the degree to which the American people will move to retake control of the political process. Right nnodw--after last November--I'm more optimistic than i was. That wasthe first real rejection of the militarist ideology since the end of the Vietnam War.

The difficult part of this is its not a neat either/or proposition. Glorifying violence, and/or embracing policies such as the obscene "Bush Doctrine" of "pre-emptive war" is absolutely wrong and contrary to everything this country stands for. At the same time--we do live in a dangerous world and must be prepared to defend this country by whatever means are necessary.

So you can't jsut take a simplistic "military bad"or "military good" attitude. We have to find a balance--and that's not the easiest thing in the world to do. It means--inevitably--being--and staying--on a very slippery slope and having to huss be on gurard-as much against our own attitudes as against external threats.

Answer 3

Normally I would say yes but the obvious fact is despite the hardships of so many Americans we have wealth beyond that of any nation .
This is simply a period in which minorities are making the progress of Americans look as if we are losing ground . Get out of the city and look at the golf courses tennis courts ballfields and parks .The lakes with small marinas and restraunts ,the woods with atv's and motorcycle trails and you will find white america doing great .
Its only a minority of poor uneducated white trash on drugs and booze in the cities and trailer parks that make america look bad .
Minorities will never have the same advantages and earnings or wealth that white folks do and this is something that will not change .
When Ike spoke we still had seperate but unequal in america
Now we have seperate and never going to be equal .
This is the reality and it suprises me that more folks can not see it . Just head to the suburbs and there you will find suvs boats sports cars swimming pools and the good life . What you find little of is minorities .
The down fall of america will be when over half this nation is mexican . We are now only around 30 years from that becoming a reality .

Answer 4

He meant by the "military-industrial complex" the interwoven tsardom of corporations, financial institutions, media conglomerates, lobbyists, bureaus and departments who did business with corrupt pubic-interest benevolent totalitarians in those days.

He was right: they were the downfall of the U.S. constitution, which had been declared dead in 1902, when pubic interest lawmaking replaced rights defined under regulation for individual citizens as the basis of our legal system. The country died officially in 1994.

Now the situation of course has been made demonstrably much worse. I'll give you a hint of the difference in the new Age--the tsars are no longer benevolent. But they're still totalitarian, still wrong about everything, still unrealistic, anti-individual and pro theft.

Answer 5

That was based on 1950's economy, he could not have envisioned the changes of the last 50 years.

Since the 1980's there has been severe contraction in the military industries and now the US spends a mere 4% of the GDP on defense as opposed to the early days of the Cold War.

Answer 6

I think he was on to something.

No the US hasn't collapsed, but we've fleeced our economy and borrowed a ton of money to support truly massive millitary budgets.

Answer 7

Well, gee, let's see.
Four years of an illegal war.
Billions of dollars poured into a black hole with NO results.
Billions of dollars unaccounted for.
Nine trillion dollars in debt,
sharpest drop in housing purchases in fifty years,
record bankruptcies,
number of Americans classified as "poverty level" increasing every year under bush....

Yup. I'd say we had a good start.
**********************
OhMyGod did the guy beneath me actually post that we spend only 4% on Defense??

Dear Lord in Heaven.

See?

See how they lie and deny FACTS?

What are you going to do with someone like that?

HEY, FELLAH.

"DEFENSE" and all of its little fingers and toes and other branches takes WELL OVER FIFTY PERCENT OF AMERICA'S BUDGET.

You can "name" it whatever you want -- Homeland Security, Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, VA benefits, RESEARCH (that's a BIG one), and then there's the nebulous "Black Budget" which John Q. Public will NEVER know about. "National Security" doncha know.

4% my red butt.

Answer 8

yes some examples kennedy assasinated,vietnam,our deffence budget,iraq and other involvements in the mid east.corrupt politicians defence contract scams, halliburtan,questionable elections. id be here all day man!!!!!

Answer 9

Yes....and the NeoCons couldn't be happier.

Answer 10

Spooky isn't it?