Plowshares Into Swords, or, How Ike Poisoned the Well

I have often extolled former President Eisenhower's insightful farewell address wherein he coined the phrase "military-industrial-complex" and warned us of its potential threat to this nation. But my praise for that speech ought never to dim our recognition that what Ike gave with the left hand, he pilfered from us with the right. One could point to several places in the speech to illustrate my argument, but I will highlight one paragraph:

"Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations."

We have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Really? Compelled? By whom? With this Cold War canard, old Ike undermined the prophetic force of his warning. It was, in fact, NO WARNING at all, but a capitulation to the very military-industrial-complex that he appeared to stand against. It is no doubt this capitulation that made it possible for Ike to deliver his speech--or to deliver it and walk out of his office alive. Maybe we should view his gesture charitably. The ONLY WAY Ike would be permitted to name the devil in our midst, the MIC, was to do so in this compromised fashion. Still, he named it for us, and naming the devil--recognizing it for what it is--is always the essential first step towards defeating it. So, thank you again, Mr. President. I understand that you acted under duress--and yet still summoned the courage to utter the name of the principalities and powers of this present darkness. You were handing off the baton. Know that it has been received. We will take it from here, Cold War canards to the contrary.