Friday, September 4, 2009

Eisenhower's Forgotten Warning and the Threat of Authoritarian Currents in Our Politics

By Max Blumenthal, The New York Times
Posted on September 3, 2009, Printed on September 4, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/142404/

In this summer of town hall disruptions and birth-certificate controversies, a summer when it seemed as if the Republican Party had been captured by its extremist wing, it is worth recalling a now-obscure letter from President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Although Eisenhower is commonly remembered for a farewell address that raised concerns about the “military-industrial complex,” his letter offers an equally important — and relevant — warning: to beware the danger posed by those seeking freedom from the “mental stress and burden” of democracy.

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