In 1961, on his way out the White House door, President Dwight Eisenhower gave his Farewell Address. Or what has come to be known as the “Military-Industrial Complex” speech.
It became thusly known – because historians are almost entirely Leftist. Leftists don’t like the military. And Leftists like (while only selectively presenting) what Eisenhower had to say about it:
“In the councils 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.”
This was Eisenhower warning about the military sinking into the Swamp. With its leaders becoming slaves to the Deep State. Very, very prescient.
Our military procurement process has largely transmogrified from what’s best for the nation’s defense – to what’s best for weapons-makers. And what’s best for the most powerfully-bribed members of Congress – many of whom have often-obsolete military bases in their districts.
And our military advancement process has gone from merit-based – to “woke”-based. The more Leftist you are – the higher up the ladder you go. Traditional military personnel who believe in original military priorities – are now actually driven out of the armed forces.
Our Leftist historians stopped there in Eisenhower’s speech. Eisenhower did not:
“Akin to and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial military posture has been the technological revolution during the recent decades. In this revolution, research has become central. It also becomes more formalized, complex and costly.
“A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by or at the direction of the federal government. Today, the solitary inventor tinkering in his shop has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields.
“In the same fashion the free university – historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery – has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.
“The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present and is gravely to be regarded.
“Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.
“It is the task of statesmanship to mold, to balance, and to integrate these and other forces, new and old, within the principles of our democratic system-ever aiming toward the supreme goals of our free society.”
This is Eisenhower being even more visionary than he was about the Deep State Swamp military. But because he preemptively outs several Leftist takeovers of major US institutions – our Leftist historians never, ever mention it.
We often warn of Leftist money warping and poisoning. Government money is worse. Government money pretends to be non-partisan. But as we’ve seen for many decades, it is almost always pro-Left – and is ALWAYS pro-government. Government will only spend government money on things that expand government.
Eisenhower first warns of government money in science – which has now politicized and thus ruined science. And with it the colleges and universities – where much of our scientific research is conducted.
Decades of government money have poisoned entirely the science well.
“Global Warming” – oops, I mean “Climate Change” – is a quintessential example. Government self-justifies getting bigger when “Climate Change” research says this fake problem is real. So guess which “Climate Change” research and researchers get government money – and which do not?
We are only now beginning to emerge from a year-plus of titanically stupid government lockdowns in fear of a flu. This happened in large part because We the Sheeple entirely outsourced our thinking to these unimpressive, corrupt, government-funded “scientists.” Who keep saying things that are obviously wrong – and imposing policies that are obviously antithetical to Reality.
With these fake scientists providing “justification,” government mass-expanded its powers – and We the Sheeple suppliantly submitted. Even now, after delivery of the Donald Trump vaccines – government still refuses to give up the powers it grabbed.
And Eisenhower foresaw government poison – spreading to poison the private sector. Again:
“(W)e must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.”
A “scientific-technological elite?” Big Tech, anyone?
As if we are living in a Godzilla movie, government poison has spawned all sorts of massive private sector monsters. Amazon and Google, Apple and Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter – Big Tech has now nigh entirely captured our society – and its public policy.
Government doesn’t make a move – unless and until that move is pre-approved by our Big Tech elite.
Section 230 is the massive-cronyism government poison that created these beasts. So of course these beasts will never allow it to be altered in any way – let alone be ended.
Big Tech gets the trade and immigration policy they want. They get to export as many jobs as they can – and import cheaper foreigners to fill the ones they can’t.
Big Tech gets the tax policy they want. They often pay literally ZERO tax – while insisting upon tax increases for We the Sheeple.
And of course the area where Big Tech most dominates our public policy – is its domination of our public discourse. Speech precedes deeds. Before Congress does something – it hears about it from We the People.
Not anymore. If Big Tech doesn’t approve of your speech – your speech is erased by Big Tech. If Big Tech doesn’t like you – you are erased by Big Tech.
Real news that is damaging to Big Tech’s preferred policies and political candidates – is erased. Fake news that helps Big Tech’s preferred policies and political candidates – is amplified.
And when Big Tech erases you – you are as good as gone. Ask Parler. Because Big Tech is now the gatekeeper on all things speech.
Google dominates 92% of the Web Search and attending advertising market. And Google doesn’t like conservatives – so their Search results don’t return conservatives.
I’m sure this isn’t outsized influence of our public policy….
Here’s How Google Can Shift 15 Million Votes Without Anyone Realizing It
Big Tech takes news outlets’ content – and with it their audiences and revenue. Before you read a news story – you see it on Big Tech. (Unless, of course, Big Tech decides you shouldn’t read it – Hunter Biden’s laptop, anyone?)
Many conservative people and groups looking to…speak – pay Big Tech billions of dollars to run ads to acquire Follows and Likes. And then Big Tech rewrites its algorithms – and nigh all traffic to these pages instantaneously evaporates. Bait and switch, anyone? But Big Tech keeps the money. Because of course.
Dwight David Nostradamus Eisenhower predicted all of this Big Tech-Government dominance of our public policy. And warned us about it.
If only We the Sheeple had listened.
This first appeared in Red State.