Good for the Occasional Quote
By “Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are [a] few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.”
– President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 11/8/54
I understand that we shouldn’t spend much time glorifying Ike, as elements of his domestic agenda were quite terrible, but it is remarkable how far apart he stands from the modern American right. Ike rose to prominence, after all, less for his strictly military skills than for his diplomatic prowess. These days, ability and inclination to handle allies would be seen as a personality flaw in conservative circles. His military-industrial complex speech remains a classic.