President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address should be required viewing at the White House. Decades later, his words of caution and hope still resonate.
Transcript from Alternet:
As we peer into society’s future, we - you and I, and our government - must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without asking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.
During the long lane of the history yet to be written America knows that this world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.
[Such a confederation must be one of equals. The weakest must come to the conference table with the same confidence as do we, protected as we are by our moral, economic, and military strength. That table, though scarred by many past frustrations, cannot be abandoned for the certain agony of the battlefield.]
[Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative.] Together we must learn how to compose differences, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose. Because this need is so sharp and apparent I confess that I lay down my official responsibilities in this field with a definite sense of disappointment. As one who has witnessed the horror and the lingering sadness of war - as one who knows that another war could utterly destroy this civilization which has been so slowly and painfully built over thousands of years - I wish I could say tonight that a lasting peace is in sight.
Happily, I can say that war has been avoided. Steady progress toward our ultimate goal has been made. But, so much remains to be done. As a private citizen, I shall never cease to do what little I can to help the world advance along that road.
So - in this my last good night to you as your President - I thank you for the many opportunities you have given me for public service in war and peace. I trust that in that service you find some things worthy; as for the rest of it, I know you will find ways to improve performance in the future.
You and I, my fellow citizens, need to be strong in our faith, that all nations, under God, will reach the goal of peace, with justice. May we be ever unswerving in devotion to principle, confident but humble with power, diligent in pursuit of the Nation’s great goals.
To all the peoples of the world, I once more give expression to America’s prayerful and continuing aspiration:
We pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those now denied opportunity shall come to enjoy it to the full; that all who yearn for freedom may experience its spiritual blessings; that those who have freedom will understand, also, its heavy responsibilities; that all who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity; that the scourges of poverty, disease and ignorance will be made to disappear from the earth, and that, in the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.
How the IRS’ Nonprofit Division Got So Dysfunctional
Email 
Print
Share
Email to a friend
Newsletter 
Like Us
Follow Us
Get Our Feed
By Michael Gillespie, December 20, 2006 at 8:29 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Thank you so much for making Ike’s farewell address to the nation available to the public once again. His wisdom has never been more applicable than it is today. There is simply no comparison between Ike and our present leadership: Wise statesmen work for the welfare of humanity even while they strive to promote the interests of their national or racial groups, and they never opt for war when there are reasonable and promising alternatives.
Report thisBy Jim Thompson, December 14, 2006 at 8:18 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Here is another portion of his farewell speach that has come true.
Partial Transcript:
“In the counsels of Government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the Military Industrial Complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together.”
- President Eisenhower - January 1961
Report thisBy sharon ash, December 12, 2006 at 9:02 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Another statement from Eisenhower which in effect said that “politics should be the parttime profession of every American” demonstrated his wisdom. He was trying to tell us how important it is that we stay “in the know” about what is going on in our government. If only 50% of Americans would get involved, get the facts and hold elected officials accountable, we could have a democracy that truly was by the people and for the people. Americans have not been involved and we now have government by the greedy for the greedy and to hell with the others until their vote is needed.
Report thisBy Dr. Knowitall, PhD, PhD, December 12, 2006 at 4:41 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Not bad, for a warmonger. These are inspiring words. Send a copy to W. My only issue is with, “all nations, under God…” Clearly, appointing, and relying on any god as a national leader in international relations is counterproductive if not dangerous. The Eyerackies can’t even deal with it within their own borders. Nor can we. So, parents should teach their children not to act like their parents do and the rest will take care of itself.
Report this