dwight d. eisenhower

[saz]

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.

- a speech before the american society of newspaper editors, april 16, 1953


dynamic conservatism:


• expanded the new deal: president eisenhower created the department of health, education and welfare, and selected new deal programs for these departments to manage and maintain, and he also extended benefits to ten million workers.


• enlarged social security.


• signed the federal highway act of 1956 (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/96summer/p96su10.cfm): president eisenhower didn't believe in destroying and tearing down infrastructure and government, he believed in strengthening and expanding it, as he wanted to contribute to his country's economic expansion.


• president eisenhower declared racial discrimination a matter of national security, signed the 1957 and 1960 civil rights acts, executive order 10730 had the arkansas national guard under the president's command while american soldiers protected nine black students at little rock central high school, president eisenhower stood up to and fought racist governor orval faubus.


• founded people to people international (http://www.ptpi.org/), a non-profit agency which promotes peace through understanding: The purpose of People to People International is to enhance international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural and humanitarian activities involving the exchange of ideas and experiences directly among peoples of different countries and diverse cultures.


• the eisenhower doctrine provided economic aid to jordan.


• spoke out against and warned of the military-industrial-complex (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y06NSBBRtY) in his farewell address to the nation.

[p-branez]

• signed the federal highway act of 1956 (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/96summer/p96su10.cfm): president eisenhower didn't believe in destroying and tearing down infrastructure and government, he believed in strengthening and expanding it, as he wanted to contribute to his country's economic expansion.


in doing so, he also supported the destruction of african-american and immigrant enclaves that would eventually make way for those highways in cities like detroit and chicago.

From http://www.67riots.rutgers.edu/d_index.htm

"In Detroit, the shortage of housing available to black residents was further exacerbated by “urban renewal” projects. In Detroit, entire neighborhoods were bulldozed to make way for freeways that linked city and suburbs. Neighborhoods that met their fate in such manner were predominantly black in their composition. To build Interstate 75, Paradise Valley or “Black Bottom”, the neighborhood that black migrants and white ethnics had struggled over during the 1940s, was buried beneath several layers of concrete. As the oldest established black enclave in Detroit, “Black Bottom” was not merely a point on the map, but the heart of Detroit’s black community, commercially and culturally. The loss for many black residents of Detroit was devastating, and the anger burned for years thereafter."

[saz]

touché. ike also removed land from native americans, and approved the overthrow of mossadegh, giving rise to the oppressive shah, which resulted in the blowback of the '79 islamic revolution.

still though, the top tax rate under ike was 91%. the john birch society accused him of essentially being a communist. glenn beck probably hates him, and if ike were alive today, his head would probably explode.

[p-branez]

you have provided us with a very nice summary of Eisenhower's wikipedia page :)

91% was the top marginal tax rate.

i'm not sure if you mean ike's head would explore or glenn beck's. i recently watched glenn beck's show for the first time. he is younger than i expected. and more reserved.

[saz]

actually that was mostly from my university textbooks. oh no, i forgot to include marginal.

more reserved eh (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA7-BvVDV10). due to today's political climate, and given the fact that the american political establishment has moved so far to the right, ike would be called a commie and his head would explode.

[Bob]

i'm not sure if you mean ike's head would explore or glenn beck's. i recently watched glenn beck's show for the first time. he is younger than i expected. and more reserved.

it depends which day you watch him. sometimes he's solemn and weepy, other times he's screaming and weepy. sometimes he's one followed immediately by the other. either way he chews the scenery

[yeahwho]

Not to turn the dime on this thread, but I think the corporate structure and media stronghold have gained so much access to the hearts and minds of the easily molded public that many Americans don't even realize Dwight Eisenhower's prolific quote on the "military industrial complex" taking economic, political priority in a symbiotic relationship has already happened.

It's networks like FOX and the nauseating trend of TV News allowing an unchecked ego like that of Glenn Beck that perpetuate and actually promote ignorance. Glenn Beck is an imbecile. What does that say about his followers?

In conclusion it's up to us to heed intelligence and think about Eisenhowers' life and reflections as an actual warrior and leader. He shared more knowledge in this one speech (http://www.h-net.org/~hst306/documents/indust.html) than CNN, FOX and MSNBC have demonstrated combined since their inception. The media that dominates the American landscape today is in it for the money, they come across as hucksters all the time. Go with PBS or CSPAN. Better yet read.

[Documad]

He didn't want to send soldiers down to protect black students, and I'm sure that he wished they would have stayed in their own schools. It's just that he couldn't let a local politician stare down the US government. He was dragged into a lot of things that he would have rather avoided. Kennedy too. The heroes were the students and their families.

When we studied Eisenhower in college (a long time ago), they portrayed him as presiding over a peaceful time when it was thought that nothing big happened, and they explained it as an accomplishment given the world situation at the time. But of course a lot happened during his two terms. Much of it is remembered wrong by the US public at large.

The highway thing is an interesting point, but not surprising. It killed the most vibrant black neighborhood in my city too. But roads are political and people with power get to screw over people who don't have power. (I think I heard that you can't visit any of the sites of the diner sit-ins in the south because freeways were laid over them.)

By the way, I had a professor who told me a story about how Eisenhower directly intervened when the professor was being accused of being a communist.

[p-branez]

actually that was mostly from my university textbooks. oh no, i forgot to include marginal.

more reserved eh (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA7-BvVDV10). due to today's political climate, and given the fact that the american political establishment has moved so far to the right, ike would be called a commie and his head would explode.

haha, exactly what i was looking for. when i watched, beck was of the more solemn and weepy type. it was just so slow.

yeahwho: we can also view glenn beck and fox news as American entities exercising their well-protected constitutional right to freedom of speech. one might believe that the inclusion of a diversity of opinions in our society promotes discussion in the public sphere.
regardless, i heard a recent radio story that his show is doing poorly in terms of ad revenue. companies are pulling ads because of the liability of being linked with something he says.

there's corporate money in alternative forms of media. if you ever watch the PBS NewHour, you'll see ads for Intel, Chevron, and BNSF Railway at the beginning of each episode. again, it's up to individuals. in this case, Americans are free to choose where to obtain news.

we can both agree on reading. i love reading (y)

[yeahwho]

That seems like an unusual response to my freedom of speech as one individual. Do you think I don't understand the Constitution?

Like the catchphrase says, "We report, You decide". I decided FOX News is full of delusional tools who hustle the corporate mantra of Vote Republican and be a good patriot. Nothing more and nothing less.

I exercise my freedom of speech (which is also a constitutional right), one individual on a board that maybe 10 people will read and you decide to lecture me on how "I'm not understanding" the corporate media's freedom of speech?

That is bizarre. Will you next tell me that the Beastie Boys are a capitalist band on a corporate label and the car I drive is from a corporation? It doesn't mean my car sucks or the beastie boys suck.

But one thing is for sure, Glenn Beck and the whole tone of FOX News does suck. FOX is in love with Republicans. Glenn Beck is an imbecile. It's hucksterism and it works for millions. People lap it up. Look I won't even change the ad for Glenn Beck and no matter what day you come back he's attackin' the Dems! (http://www.glennbeck.com/) because that's what he does. He is brilliant.

[saz]

He didn't want to send soldiers down to protect black students, and I'm sure that he wished they would have stayed in their own schools. It's just that he couldn't let a local politician stare down the US government. He was dragged into a lot of things that he would have rather avoided. Kennedy too.

not sure i believe that. i mean, ike was definitely reluctant when it came to civil rights, but i don't think he was as lackadasical as kennedy.



The Birthday When Ike Heard “Thank You”

Dwight D. Eisenhower was born on this day in 1890. Of course we all know that President Eisenhower founded this great organization, but today we’ll focus on a few facts that are perhaps less well known. Our President and CEO, Mary Jean Eisenhower, wrote the following about what turned out to be her grandfather’s last birthday.

People to People International (http://blog.ptpi.org/2010/10/13/the-birthday-when-ike-heard-thank-you/)

October 14, 1968

Former President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower lay sunken in his hospital bed, on a sunny autumn afternoon at Walter Reed Army Medical center. He was still recovering from his seventh massive heart attack, it was his 78th birthday. The man, who led the Allied Forces during WWII, was now unable to get out of bed without help. He was antsy and he was tired. The family and a few very close friends were there, it was his birthday. Cards, flowers and well wishes adorned the room he had occupied for so many months. Just down the hall from him on Ward 8 was Senator Strom Thurmond (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strom_Thurmond), eventually the longest serving US Senator in history (until passed by Byrd (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Byrd)), he was 11 years my grandfather’s junior.

There were many other heroes on Ward 8, in fact, oddly enough I was born in the same room I was visiting my grandfather in, and he would eventually die there.

To understand the rest of the story, you have to understand a little more about my grandfather, the soldier. The night before deployment (D-Day (http://www.army.mil/d-day/)), he spent the entire night walking around with the troops. Why? Because he felt responsible for all of them, and looked at them as his own family. He made small talk; he talked to them about their own lives and families. I will never understand the deep impact WWII had on him, only how he tried to convey it. When asked why he spent the night with the troops he said, “I knew I was sending over half of them to their deaths, I felt they deserved to know the man who was doing this.” And after, a note thrown away was recovered. Written in his hand, on a small piece of paper, was apparently what he had planned to say should there have been failure. Paraphrased, he took full responsibility in the event of failure. In the end though, he gave full credit to the troops.

Fast forward to this day in 1968, which would end up being his last birthday. As I mentioned earlier, he was a very positive person, and was politely joking and trying to look like he was enjoying the “camp out” celebration. The room got quiet for an extended period. My grandmother, Mamie, sat on the edge of his bed, holding his hand; he was staring up at the ceiling. He looked ashen and parched.

After a while there was the faint sound of a military band. They were playing “Edelweiss (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_VX4vK5430)”, his favorite song. The music got progressively louder and Mamie jumped off of the bed and looked out of the window. His face got colored and flushed and his huge grin lit up like a firework, and he asked her, “Is it them?” She swiftly turned around and got the doctor. They quickly disconnected Granddad from his machines and hoisted him on to a wheel chair, driving him rapidly to the window. Mamie grabbed his “General’s” Flag and put it in his hand. He leaned out of the window and waved it while the Marine Band played “Happy Birthday” to him under the room.

When they finished, they saluted him and crisply marched away. The doctor and my grandmother pulled him back to his bed. While being re-hooked to his machines, he looked at my grandmother as he never did another and said, “Well, Mamie, maybe I have lived long enough.” I believe translated, he finally heard, from the men and women he treasured all of his life, “Thank you for your service.”

As it was, he passed away in March of 1969. When we were grieving, I often hung on to the memory of his last birthday and remember that fire cracking grin when he heard the music.

[saz]

(lb)

I think the corporate structure and media stronghold have gained so much access to the hearts and minds of the easily molded public that many Americans don't even realize Dwight Eisenhower's prolific quote on the "military industrial complex" taking economic, political priority in a symbiotic relationship has already happened.

nor would the media, the easily molded public, the republican party and conservative media realize, appreciate nor comprehend his humnaitarian and intellectual attributes and masterful articulation. in fact i think it would even be daunting and threatening for some, and ike would be written off as an "intellectual elitist", "commie", "hippy" with all of his "book learnin' stuff" etc.

[p-branez]

my siblings went on people to people student ambassador programs and loved them.(y)
not sure if it's changed, but since some trips are prohibitively expensive, the program was only available to a certain segment of the population.

yeahwho: there's no attacking or lecturing going on here. i never said you don't understand freedom of speech.
what i want to point out is that implying that glenn beck's followers are imbeciles or worse doesn't lessen polarization or move the discussion about news media in our country forward. we can't forget about the intelligent, successful, and well-reasoned people who are attracted to beck's message of FOX news.

let's remember we're posting on the political section of the beastie boys message board. we agree on far more than we disagree.

also: can someone provide data or reports about this idea of the "easily molded public?"

[yeahwho]

I am not implying anything other than the obvious. The FOX News network (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/29/entertainment/la-et-onthemedia-20100929)has actual potential candidates (http://www.gadaily.com/index.php/section-blog/37-column/2199-what-happened-to-media-integrity) for the presidency working for them.

p-branez, "Glenn Beck is an imbecile. What does that say about his followers" is what I said. You surmised and imply I said his followers are imbeciles. That would be something you would have to work out on your own time. I'm sure the people who put in the national spotlight are brilliant, in fact the intelligence behind FOX News is something to be admired. It doesn't necessarily make it a good industry or patriotic entity.

Like I said before and anyone with a trace of intelligence can tell you (and it's your constitutional right to disagree) FOX News is full of delusional tools who hustle the corporate mantra of Vote Republican and be a good patriot.


The obviousness of your own defense and misinterpretation of my take on corporate media outlets tells me how easily molded Americans are.

[p-branez]

yeahwho: you're right, i came off strong. i apologize for that.

i was wondering if someone could recommend a good book, a sort of macro primer, about the media's influence, especially in politics.
i'm working on a campaign right now and my biggest learning point is that people seem genuinely civil and often interested in what i say.

[saz]

also: can someone provide data or reports about this idea of the "easily molded public?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0LZcN4Qf3Y