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2. We embarked on the construction of interstate highways. Some suggest America would have been better to focus on mass transit instead. This simply was not practical.
It would have been a good idea but at the time that the Interstate Highway System was created it was not brought up, mainly because environmentalism was not widespread in the 1950s and no one anticipated the bad effects on the social fabric of the Interstate Highway System. Most Americans firmly believed in progress and development at that time, and the same went for most American politicians of both parties.
The objections to the Interstate Highway System exclusively came from the Robert Taft "Old Right" wing of the GOP who saw it as corporate welfare and pork, and too reminiscent of the big New Deal projects which they hated. As Taft was already dead by that time, the Taftites were rapidly fading away into insignificance. (As an aside note, Taft really deserves his own thread on this board).
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Like it or not, America is the land of the automobile and the interstate highway system has served our country well.
You mean like destroying American cities, encouraging sprawl, and increasing US dependence on foreign oil (not a factor in the 1950s as the US still produced the overwhelming majority of the oil it used ; the Texas Railroad Commission was the OPEC of that era) ?
However none of this was anticipated so it is no surprise none of this was brought up.
Most people feel the Interstate Highway system was built to make it easy to travel in the USA. Actually the legislation that launched this building of transcontinental super Highways that previously only existed in a few NE and Midwestern states and parts of California was called The Interstate and National Defense Highway Act. Ike was very impressed by roads US forces found in Germany called Autobahnen which made it easy to move men and materials even after Germany had been virtually leveled by our bombing. The roads bypassed or circled around bombed out cities and autobahn lanes could even be used as runways to operate aircraft. The generous rights of way made it virtually impossible to block the road by collapsing buildings along the roadway. Also appreciated was the limited access nature of the roads which made it very easy to secure the roads for military operations. All of these features were built into Americas Interstate Highways which pass within 50 miles of all American cities whose population is 50,000 or larger and they connect all state capitals with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii. The roads are designed to be usable in the most extreme military emergencies or natural disasters.
President Eisenhower showed great insight and wisdom during his time in office. Eisenhower wasn't quick to commit men and women to battle needlessly as have some of his successors of both parties. I doubt that he would have involved us in the Vietnam War. In my opinion, his farewell address contained important truisms and warnings about the dangers of the industrial-military complex and the unwarranted influence in government that we have failed to heed. For his humanity, fiscal responsibility and good judgment, I would place him in the top ten of all presidents.
All well and good, but he laid the foundation for our long eventual war with Vietnam (France at the time used mainly U.S. hardware and had training from U.S. advisers) as well as the overthrow of Mohammad Mossadeq in Iran, a remarkably easy act that showed how easy it was to snuff out a genuine democratic movement with a few guys form the C.I.A. (Teddy Roosevelt's grandson Kermit spearheaded it) and replace it with a crony government (the Shah of Iran, resplendent in his royal appearance that bears a remarkable resemblance to European royalty). The year was 1953. Iran looked to the United States (especially Mossadeq) for guidance and inspiration. They saw a democracy and wanted one of their own, escaping from under the heel of British exploitation. Instead Ike agreed with British requests and Iran was sold out, due in large part to the formation of the nascent Central Intelligence Agency, and, of course, our longstanding alliance with Britain. It started a slide of increasing severity of the United States in foreign affairs post WWII.And half a century later we launched an invasion of their next door neighbor.
Ike made some mistakes but he LEARNED from them. He learned and he warned those who would follow not to repeat them. He was above average in many regards. His foresight and years of experience in a command position in Europe allowed him to be one of the few United States Presidents who was a commander in chief of the Army while in uniform and while out of uniform, like the first President of the United States was before him.
His departure speech in January of 1961 should be something all Americans listen to.
Most people feel the Interstate Highway system was built to make it easy to travel in the USA. Actually the legislation that launched this building of transcontinental super Highways that previously only existed in a few NE and Midwestern states and parts of California was called The Interstate and National Defense Highway Act. Ike was very impressed by roads US forces found in Germany called Autobahnen which made it easy to move men and materials even after Germany had been virtually leveled by our bombing. The roads bypassed or circled around bombed out cities and autobahn lanes could even be used as runways to operate aircraft. The generous rights of way made it virtually impossible to block the road by collapsing buildings along the roadway. Also appreciated was the limited access nature of the roads which made it very easy to secure the roads for military operations. All of these features were built into Americas Interstate Highways which pass within 50 miles of all American cities whose population is 50,000 or larger and they connect all state capitals with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii. The roads are designed to be usable in the most extreme military emergencies or natural disasters.
I am aware of where Ike got the idea from, and how he was able to sell it to conservatives (except for the Taftites, the only group opposed to the Interstate Highway System at the time - btw notice I started a thread about Taft?) on the road system having military and security purposes. OTOH, he was able to sell it to liberals as being a giant jobs and economic development program in the tradition of the New Deal and FDR, the great builder, not to mention that it would create a huge number of union jobs to keep the unions happy. The pro-business moderates in both parties viewed it as good for business.
Most people feel the Interstate Highway system was built to make it easy to travel in the USA. Actually the legislation that launched this building of transcontinental super Highways that previously only existed in a few NE and Midwestern states and parts of California was called The Interstate and National Defense Highway Act. Ike was very impressed by roads US forces found in Germany called Autobahnen which made it easy to move men and materials even after Germany had been virtually leveled by our bombing. The roads bypassed or circled around bombed out cities and autobahn lanes could even be used as runways to operate aircraft. The generous rights of way made it virtually impossible to block the road by collapsing buildings along the roadway. Also appreciated was the limited access nature of the roads which made it very easy to secure the roads for military operations. All of these features were built into Americas Interstate Highways which pass within 50 miles of all American cities whose population is 50,000 or larger and they connect all state capitals with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii. The roads are designed to be usable in the most extreme military emergencies or natural disasters.
There is a lot of debate on whether Eisenhower really believed this or simply used it as a way to overcome opposition on the right to building the roads. Unlike Germany, the chances of the Army needing to use the road system to move tanks to repeal an invasion was slight. Trains could move tanks to where they were really needed, abroad.
Because they damage the roads tanks are normally not even allowed to drive on them. They move on vehicular transports.
There is a lot of debate on whether Eisenhower really believed this or simply used it as a way to overcome opposition on the right to building the roads. Unlike Germany, the chances of the Army needing to use the road system to move tanks to repeal an invasion was slight. Trains could move tanks to where they were really needed, abroad.
Because they damage the roads tanks are normally not even allowed to drive on them. They move on vehicular transports.
By the 1950s America was in the age of CONELRAD and a fear of what we were going to do if they dropped the big one. Many defense fetures of these Highways were sold for Civil Defense. Ask yourself why was one of the specifications of the bridges and overpasses used in the system was a requirement to withstand 5 psi of overpressure. Another was a requirement that a collapsed overpasses be removable with a simple dozer military engineering brigades had.
On a more optimistic note the Interstate highways were anticioated by the General Motors Futurama exhibit at the 1939 New York World's Fair which showed a vision of what America would be like in 1960. This exhibit showed a nation criscrossed by a web of limited access superhighways, with cities of well planed highrise Office and Industrial parks, sprawling suburbs where the common man could have a piece of the good life and at least one car and a garage. I think that GM hit the mark on this one or we liked the this vision so much we made it happen.
Eisenhower was a great President and this comes from someone who is a democrat.
His position as commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II was enough experience in and of itself to justify electing him President. In this capacity, he had to perform a real high/wire act. He had to keep the British happy. He had to keep the Americans happy. He probably learned more in this position about foreign policy than the brightest diplomats in our Department of State. He would have borne the responsibility had the D-Day Invasion failed. Its only fair he receive the credit because it succeeded. He was even spoken well of by Russian Premier Nikita Khruschev.
Perhaps, the greatest criticism of Eisenhower as President is that he could have been more dynamic and could have accomplished more in office if he had taken a more aggressive approach. This may well be true, but it ignores a central fact. After fighting World War II and after having lived through the Great Depression most Americans truly wanted a period of peace and prosperity where they could simply focus on enjoying their own lives. Eisenhower keenly understood this.
Nevertheless, there were distinct accomplishments during his Presidency.
1. We began a space program that culminated in 1969 with a lunar landing;
2. We embarked on the construction of interstate highways. Some suggest America would have been better to focus on mass transit instead. This simply was not practical. Like it or not, America is the land of the automobile and the interstate highway system has served our country well.
3. He took the first steps towards civil rights for African Americans. He sent in federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce school desegregation ordered by the courts. He also appointed Justice Earl Warren to the US Supreme Court who wrote the unanimous opinion in the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, ending school segregation.
4. He may have set the Vietnam conflict in motion for America, but at the time he was smart enough to avoid sending troops to buttress the hopeless position that the French found themselves in. He refused to intervene when French forces were surrounded and than beaten at Dien Bien Phu.
5. The Korean War ended during the early part of his administration.
6. The economy grew by leaps and bounds during his tenure in office.
7. He warned our nation, as he departed office about the growing power of the "military industrial complex". What Eisenhower was trying to say was that the relationship between defense contractors and politicians was simply too close for the country's own good.
He is an underrated President. He is definitely one of the ten greatest men who served in the oval office.
Well said.
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