Eisenhower's farewell address in the context of Dwight Eisenhower


Eisenhower's farewell address in the context of Dwight Eisenhower

⭐ Core Definition: Eisenhower's farewell address

Eisenhower's farewell address (sometimes referred to as "Eisenhower's farewell address to the nation") was the final public speech of Dwight D. Eisenhower as the 34th president of the United States, delivered in a television broadcast on January 17, 1961. Perhaps best known for advocating that the nation guard against the potential influence of the military–industrial complex the speech also expressed concerns about planning for the future and the dangers of massive spending, especially deficit spending, the prospect of the domination of science through federal funding and, conversely, the domination of science-based public policy by what he called a "scientific-technological elite". Eisenhower played a significant role in the creation of this "elite" and its position of power, and thus there is an element of irony in his warning against it. This speech and Eisenhower's Chance for Peace speech have been called the "bookends" of his administration.

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Eisenhower's farewell address in the context of Military–industrial complex

The expression military–industrial complex (MIC) describes the relationship between a country's military and the defense industry that supplies it, seen together as a vested interest which influences public policy. A driving factor behind the relationship between the military and the defense corporations is that both sides benefit—one side from obtaining weapons, and the other from being paid to supply them. The term is most often used in reference to the system behind the armed forces of the United States, where the relationship is most prevalent due to close links among defense contractors, the Department of Defense, and politicians. The expression gained popularity after a warning of the relationship's harmful effects, in the farewell address of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1961. The term has also been used in relation to Russia, especially since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

View the full Wikipedia page for Military–industrial complex
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