America’s Democracy… From Eisenhower to Biden

Is American democracy at risk? Two overarching complexes are closing in on it, threatening to strip the United States of its crown jewel- its very essence and the foundation it has been built upon since the Declaration of Independence.
Americans have long taken pride in, and loudly championed, their liberal values. They regard democracy as the cornerstone of their republican tower. However, the US has been in a spiritual crisis for the past six decades, because of the rise of conglomerates that, at the very least, undermine democracy.
President Joe Biden’s farewell address reminded the American people of a threat that President Dwight Eisenhower had raised the alarm about as early as 1961. Biden did not merely reiterate Eisenhower’s warnings about the military-industrial complex; he also warned them of a new looming challenge. A new conglomerate is surging forward like a relentless tsunami- with inevitable and with unpredictable repercussions for the future of democracy in the United States.
On January 17, 1961, Eisenhower delivered a televised farewell address from the Oval Office, issuing an unforgettable warning about the potential for the "military-industrial complex" in his country to force violence.
The general-turned-politician, who had led the Allies to victory in World War II, declared that this vast military establishment and a massive arms industry had been working together in pursuit of "unwarranted influence" in "every city, every legislative building, and every office of government"—a situation that could end in disaster.
For over six decades, General Eisenhower’s predictions have been coming to fruition. A triangular alliance that has, in fact, eroded many facets of American democracy.
The three sides of this triad are, first, the owners of American military factories, whose shareholders reap "milk, honey, and gold," both openly and behind the scenes. The second side consists of US Department of Defense generals, who lead America’s battles on the ground and, more often than not, become highly paid consultants for military-industrial corporations. The third side is members of Congress- both in the Senate and the House- who pass legislation to launch wars, often after receiving millions of dollars in donations from major defense companies, and then obtain positions on their boards of directors once their legislative careers end.
This complex has undoubtedly fostered a new dynamic in the United States, exerting immense pressure on the American decision-makers and diminishing its once-thriving democracy. It has also weakened the ability of the struggling American working class, and its impoverished underclass, by denying them fair representation. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has failed to resolve the issue of campaign donations to candidates for public office. This problem can be seen from the smallest town mayor on the southern Texas border to the highest office of the presidency.
In his inaugural address, Biden pointed the finger at what he called the "tech-industrial complex," which appears to be no less formidable, especially since its far-reaching influence extends across oceans and into every corner of our vast globe.
"Six decades later, I'm equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex. It could pose real dangers for our country as well," he said.
Biden was unequivocal. Americans are, in his words, “being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling. Pillars are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact-checking.”
Biden highlighted real fears for American democracy, because of the fusion of wealth and power through the tech-industrial complex that is now led by figures like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos, alongside the boards of corporations such as Apple and Google, and business moguls handling nearly a trillion dollars. Indeed, the notion of democracy being hijacked by a privileged few is not just a possibility, but a material reality.
Is American democracy in genuine- not imagined- peril?
The concentration of power and wealth directly erodes nations’ sense of unity and shared purpose, shattering trust. When that happens, democracy wanes. It becomes disheartening, as people no longer feel they have a fair chance.
Historians tell us that ancient Rome’s star faded when the spirit of democracy vanished from its core. What, then, of the Rome of our era?