William Hartung on Eisenhower’s Farewell Address

William Hartung on Eisenhower’s Farewell Address

William Hartung on Eisenhower’s Farewell Address

William Hartung appears on Democracy Now! to talk about Lockheed Martin and the 50th Anniversary of President Eisenhower’s farewell address.

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Flipboard
Pocket

William Hartung, author of Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military Industrial-Complex and the recent Nation article "Is Lockheed Martin Shadowing You?" appeared this morning on Democracy Now! to discuss his book and the 50th anniversary of President Eisenhower’s farewell address which he used to warn of the rise of the military-industrial complex. Of the address, Hartung says Eisenhower was "concerned not just about the size, not just about the budget but that it was going to undermine our democracy." Hartung adds, "I think that’s what Lockheed Martin is about in many ways." 

Hartung describes Lockheed Martin as a "full-service government contractor, which really is involved in every aspect" of Americans’ lives. He lists off the CIA, FBI, IRS and the Census Bureau as some of the many agencies where one can find Lockheed Martin. And he says he wrote a book on the military industrial-complex that centered around Lockheed Martin because he thinks "they’re the largest, they’re the most corrupt and they have the most political influence" in the United States.

Go here to watch the second part of Hartung’s conversation on Democracy Now!

—Kevin Gosztola

We cannot back down

We now confront a second Trump presidency.

There’s not a moment to lose. We must harness our fears, our grief, and yes, our anger, to resist the dangerous policies Donald Trump will unleash on our country. We rededicate ourselves to our role as journalists and writers of principle and conscience.

Today, we also steel ourselves for the fight ahead. It will demand a fearless spirit, an informed mind, wise analysis, and humane resistance. We face the enactment of Project 2025, a far-right supreme court, political authoritarianism, increasing inequality and record homelessness, a looming climate crisis, and conflicts abroad. The Nation will expose and propose, nurture investigative reporting, and stand together as a community to keep hope and possibility alive. The Nation’s work will continue—as it has in good and not-so-good times—to develop alternative ideas and visions, to deepen our mission of truth-telling and deep reporting, and to further solidarity in a nation divided.

Armed with a remarkable 160 years of bold, independent journalism, our mandate today remains the same as when abolitionists first founded The Nation—to uphold the principles of democracy and freedom, serve as a beacon through the darkest days of resistance, and to envision and struggle for a brighter future.

The day is dark, the forces arrayed are tenacious, but as the late Nation editorial board member Toni Morrison wrote “No! This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”

I urge you to stand with The Nation and donate today.

Onwards,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation

Ad Policy
x