Did Eisenhower do anything to curb the "military-industrial complex"?

[DerekG]

A question for history/conspiracy buffs...

Eisenhower is often lauded for warning the nation of the MIC in his farewell address. But when I take a cursory glance at our ventures during his presidency (e.g., the Guatemala/Iran coups, Vietnam), I find myself horrified. Where did Ike fit into all this? Did he at any point try to stop the excesses of our little empire, or was he mostly mouthing pretty words?

[JackRiddler]

1. No, he did not. He presided over the latter part of its creation...

And he showed a touch of regret on his way out, thus the honesty of his speech. He could have added, "I should know about the MIC, since I was an important part of it."

You can give him a couple of points: Ending the Korean war. Unwillingness to pursue full-scale war in Asia, although his administration prevented democratic elections in Vietnam (as under the Geneva Treaty) and set up the Diem dictatorship and the situation that would lead to such a land war. Defense budget actually went down under him, although the MIC's power over policy increased. He was willing to point out that defense spending was a waste compared to peacetime domestic spending, noting that each missile represented multiple school buildings and the like. (At the time, one could still conceive of "peacetime.") Nevertheless, he was rigidly anti-Communist and at best hands-off with the CIA during one of its most violent and brutal periods under Allen Dulles. The government engaged in outrageous nuclear scare propaganda and brought you "duck and cover" and the annual mass "civil defense" (wishful thinking!) exercises like Operation Alert.

[upi402]

2. He warned about the shadow government, and named it

And we let the media turn to crap after the 70's and dupe most of us. So we live under that shadow now.

[Kennah]

3. As I recall from "Why We Fight" ...

The phrase in Ike's original notes was apparently "Military Industrial Congressional Complex", but he dropped "Congressional" because he still had friends in the Congress whom he didn't want to piss off. However, the phrase is more accurate, and today it was noted the phrase should be "Military Industrial Congressional Think-Tank Complex" which adds in groups like Project for the New American Century.

His son, retired Brigadier General John Eisenhower, and granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower, both appear in the film. One or both spoke of how Ike had spent Pentagon dollars on things outside the war machine, like the Interstate Highway System. At one point, there were rumblings, or worries, that Congress might "do something" and Ike is said to have remarked, "Let them try to impeach me."

One could say Ike jammed his thumb in the eye of the MIC, but didn't really seem to openly oppose it during his Presidency.

[Flubadubya]

7. Wouldn't it be just "da bomb"...

to see Obama do something as bold and brazenly progressive and then come back with a response like, "Let them try to impeach me." ?

I can dream can't I? :heavy sigh:

[SwampG8r]

4. he won ww 2

that put a lot of it off track for a short while

[tabasco]

5. Roosevelt won WWII

and was fighting it before Ike became SCAFE.

[SwampG8r]

6. truman won ww2

and humor is wasted on you

[tabasco]

8. I'm a Truman admirer,

but that is a bold and incorrect assertion. The war was won before Truman came in.

Do you believe Reagan defeated the Soviet Union because he was president when it finally collapsed?

I didn't see much humor in your other post. Of course, it must be my problem. :shrug:

[SwampG8r]

9. bush was president when the wall fell

and yes it would be your problem

[gordianot]

11. Marshall won World War 2 both Roosevelt and Truman listened to him.

He rebuilt Europe to boot which ultimately led to the end of Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe. Eisenhower was a lackey. MacArthur thought he was boss but General Marshal was instrumental when he was finally and justifiably canned.

[coalition_unwilling]

10. Not sure this counts, but he did end the Korean War. Whether

that counts as curbing the MIC is open to debate, I suppose. Although he did send some military advisors to Vietnam, Ike managed to keep us out of any land wars in Asia or Europe.

[starroute]

12. The military-industrial complex was messing him up the last two years

The paranoid fear of the Russians started after Sputnik (October 1957), and in 1958-59 it got out of hand to the point where Eisenhower couldn't keep it under control. This was the start of the era of brinkmanship, when there was one nail-biter crisis after another.

I don't know how much more Eisenhower could have done. I think he tried but there were too many forces operating behind his back -- Nixon, for example. So as he was leaving the Oval Office, he came out in public and complained about it.

It may have been no more than a token gesture by that point, but at least he tried.