“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.” It was in a way a paradoxical send-off. Eisenhower had worked so hard to build this massive warfare state, even as he worried about its cost.
