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"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. "
This is how a former general and leader left his post as president of the United States: with words that were elegant and prophetic. The most striking thing about his speech, if you read it, is how intelligent he sounds, how polished. His attitude towards his audience is one of respect and he displays a basic assumption they understand what he says. There is no folksy cuteness, no dumbing down of what he has to say and certainly no sugar coating the truth to make it palatable.
Remember this was in 1961 and how far we have come since Eisenhower gave his farewell address. Consider how sophisticated most people feel themselves to be these days, how much more media savvy and aware, then look at the difference between how a president spoke in the late 50's/early 60's and how our political leaders speak to us today.
To see the speech, here's a link to a video
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/dwightdeisenhowerfarewell.html
And to follow along with a transcript of the speech which includes the first use of that great phrase, military-industrial complex, here are the words: http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/indust.html
And he was true soldier, he'd fought battles and would never send his troops anywhere without knowing first the situation he was sending them into or without what we now call 'an exit strategy. He wore a uniform and there are many photographs taken with him in it but he never wore one just because a camera was around.
