Eisenhower's Farewell Address: Questions

    Eisenhower's Farewell Address: Questions

      1. Ike seemed to think the Cold War was a Lord of the Rings-style struggle of Good vs. Evil (would that make him Gandalf?). How would this have helped his vision for peace? Isn't it too provocative?
      2. Ike was afraid that the military-industrial complex could influence America's foreign policy. Can you think of an example of how that might work?
      3. How do we reconcile Ike's ideal of America as the nation of freedom, justice, and peace with the undeniably bloody foreign policy of the half-century after WWII? Is there still room for Eisenhower's lofty rhetoric about America's "prayerful and continuing inspiration" (VII.5) in a cynical 21st century?
      4. Why haven't any presidents after Ike given such a striking and memorable final speech? (With maybe one exception.) Did Ike's stellar military career give him freedom to say things that others couldn't say?
      5. Is Ike's vision of America's position in the world realistic? Do you think it's been borne out in the 21st century?