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starroute

(12,977 posts)

16. The military-industrial complex only really became powerful around 1958

Tue Dec 1, 2015, 05:25 PM

Dec 2015

It didn't exist when Eisenhower was at West Point. It started to develop as a result of World War II. It gradually became able to affect public policy after the war, but it only really exploded when the launch of Sputnik in 1957 made people nervous and money started to be thrown at high-tech weapons systems.

It then proceeded to effectively sabotage the last two years of Eisenhower's presidency. He was trying to develop openings to the Soviet Union and end the Cold War. The military-industrial complex made that impossible. I've even seen it suggested that the U-2 incident was deliberately used to prevent any US-Russian rapprochement.

So don't piss on Ike. He figured out what was going on earlier than almost anyone and did his best to warn the rest of us.

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No wonder so many of us are sick of this shit [View all] Scuba Dec 2015 OP

Eisenhower was correct. Funtatlaguy Dec 2015 #1

You mean, West Point graduate Eisenhower who spent his life in the military, a good chunk of it merrily Dec 2015 #5

The military-industrial complex only really became powerful around 1958 starroute Dec 2015 #16

Do you have any links to support any of what you are saying? Samuel Bush was a figure during World merrily Dec 2015 #20

I have seen some of the old documentaries years ago where GM had to stop LiberalArkie Dec 2015 #29

OK, no links. Also, I am not connecting anything in your post to no MIC until 1958. merrily Dec 2015 #34

Whatever LiberalArkie Dec 2015 #35

I think you're both right. hedda_foil Dec 2015 #42

How, if at all, does what you posted relate specifically to the year 1958? merrily Dec 2015 #64

There have been profiteers in every war, aye. malthaussen Dec 2015 #65

He was warning people with no power about something about which he, as President, had done nothing. merrily Dec 2015 #68

Venerate him or not as you please... malthaussen Dec 2015 #69

Understanding the post to which you are replying is also important. merrily Dec 2015 #70

Rosie the Riveter... liam_laddie Dec 2015 #58

Eisenhower got us out of one war and kept us out of any others. former9thward Dec 2015 #40

I remember my dad being gone for a year in the fifties mountain grammy Dec 2015 #45

My dad's best friend from high school spent 3 years from 1949-1952 in South America. Major Hogwash Dec 2015 #53

Eisenhower took over in 1953... former9thward Dec 2015 #61

Eisenhower supported the CIA, he gave the go ahead for the Bay of Pigs invasion. Major Hogwash Dec 2015 #62

The Bay of Pigs was planned by the CIA during the last months of the Eisenhower adminstration. former9thward Dec 2015 #74

After consulting with Eisenhower. Major Hogwash Dec 2015 #76

Really? former9thward Dec 2015 #60

Oh pardon me.. mountain grammy Dec 2015 #72

He is no saint to me. former9thward Dec 2015 #73

Absolutely not! mountain grammy Dec 2015 #75

You left out nuclear weapons/nuclear power. kristopher Dec 2015 #37

I hadn't realized the major nuclear buildup only stated in the late 50s starroute Dec 2015 #38

this is the same ike who authorized one last U-2 flight over the Soviet Union Javaman Dec 2015 #48

It's strange to me they don't include the CIA with the MIC when discussing war. Major Hogwash Dec 2015 #54

allen dulles was an evil paranoid bastard Javaman Dec 2015 #55

The sheer ignorance.... Hekate Dec 2015 #59

A post whose only possible purpose is to insult a DUer seems like sheer ignorance to me. merrily Dec 2015 #66

oh yeah Hekate Dec 2015 #67

Just read my signature...Eisenhower was/is correct...!!!! Stuart G Dec 2015 #32

War will never go away: Its part of the human condition: Mankind has never been w/out lewebley3 Dec 2015 #51

The longest peacetime expansion in American history was when a Clinton was in office. onehandle Dec 2015 #2

As long as you consider bombing other countries "peacetime". (nt) jeff47 Dec 2015 #3

It's as though we're addicted, isn't it? This is your brain on war: merrily Dec 2015 #11

How much of your life have we been at war? kristopher Dec 2015 #39

Ever since I was born! Major Hogwash Dec 2015 #52

Sowing the seeds for the economic collapse of 2008, with merrily Dec 2015 #6

Somalia, Sudan, Bosnia, and Iraq might disagree with you there. n/t Act_of_Reparation Dec 2015 #7

You missed adding the sarc tag. What you typed is hilarious yeoman6987 Dec 2015 #13

+1 daleanime Dec 2015 #19

When you want to tout something it was "a Clinton." When its a bad mark, it's sexist morningfog Dec 2015 #25

Not all Clintons!!!! Iggo Dec 2015 #41

It may have occurred during Clinton, but started and purchased under Reagan. LiberalArkie Dec 2015 #31

Bombing the living shit out of Milosevic is "peace"? Major Hogwash Dec 2015 #56

K and R (nt) bigwillq Dec 2015 #4

Good luck finding a time where the wasn't a war of some kind going on Lurks Often Dec 2015 #8

Yet some countries manage to avoid being at war. Scuba Dec 2015 #10

Only the unimportant and useless ones Lurks Often Dec 2015 #12

At least once.... daleanime Dec 2015 #22

War mongers big and small snort Dec 2015 #27

A war going on somewhere in the world is very different from what the OP is saying. merrily Dec 2015 #21

Yeah, kind of important. Hissyspit Dec 2015 #43

Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia. KamaAina Dec 2015 #9

FWIW, a few European countries can easily make a similar claim... Blue_Tires Dec 2015 #14

The United States is a country that was founded on violence and the enslavement of people. jalan48 Dec 2015 #15

I would be interested to see a list of the 17 years we were not at war. tclambert Dec 2015 #17

War. It's the American Way. Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2015 #18

Maybe we should amend the Constitution and have Congress declare when we are not at war. kairos12 Dec 2015 #23

The world has only experienced about the same percentage in the past 3,400 years. Glassunion Dec 2015 #24

''A Cross of Iron'' or ''Theft in the name of National Security.'' Octafish Dec 2015 #26

Imperialist plutocrats know no boundaries, what's anyone else's is theirs they believe. They have Dont call me Shirley Dec 2015 #28

k and r Ivan Kaputski Dec 2015 #30

We should have wars: chknltl Dec 2015 #33

We should stop calling things wars that are not wars. That's how we got War on Terror. merrily Dec 2015 #36

Nowadays, Most U.S. Wars are Unnecessary gordyfl Dec 2015 #44

Perfect..war through the ages, same old shit. mountain grammy Dec 2015 #46

Duck vs Rabbit Bernardo de La Paz Dec 2015 #47

Dogs Bernardo de La Paz Dec 2015 #49

Religion...and...land. SoapBox Dec 2015 #50

"They" must really hate us for our freedom! Martin Eden Dec 2015 #57

Hail, Hail, Freedonia! Land of the Brave and Free! Ford_Prefect Dec 2015 #71

Ouch. jwirr Dec 2015 #63