As is the case when most liberals make this reference, they ignore that Eisenhower pointed out that the defense budget exceeded the combined profits of all the corporations in America and the armed forces had over 3.5 active duty members. Today these numbers have changed drastically - we have less than one million under arms including not just active, but reserve forces. The military share of our national budget is less than one third what it was when Eisenhower gave his farewell address.

What is chosen to be ignored is his other warning, "As we peer into society's future, we -- you and I, and our government -- must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering for our own ease and convenience the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow." We have, in the name of compassion mortgaged not only our grandchildren's material assists, but their enjoying their political and spiritual heritage that was passed down to us.

It is our crushing debt and unfunded obligations (particularly 'entitlement' program) that are destroying our freedom. not some bogeyman corporation. Stop listening to politicians that say spending even more of the monies that we do not have on 'stimulus' programs or destroying our energy future in the phantom wish for 'green' energy.