President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s warning about a growing military-industry complex is quoted so often that the term “military-industrial complex” has entered America’s lexicon. Much less well-known are the comments he made about the necessity of dissent in a democracy and the danger of citizens who seek freedom from the “mental stress and burden” a free society requires of them.
In a New York Times editorial, author Max Blumenthal examines Ike’s “forgotten” letter to a terminally ill World War II veteran.
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About the Author: I regard historic research as a never-ending Easter egg hunt: You never know where you'll find a hidden treasure. Growing up with parents who told stories of family history probably had a lot to do with that. I realized early on that history is about lives already lived. I've met war veterans, early aviators, friends of Abraham Lincoln's in-laws, and a host of others who shared their histories with me – and it was never boring!
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Great History said:
[...] Dwight D Eisenhower on the necessity of debate; http://greathistory.com/dwight-eisenhower-on-dissent-and-the-burden-of-democracy.htm [...]
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:43 am