President Eisenhower's farewell address was delivered to the nation at the end of his term on January 19, 1961. A presidential farewell address is much more that it is merely a formality and should therefore be treated as such. It is the last opportunity for a President to directly influence public opinion towards them. The intended audience for this speech is the American people. Analysis of such a document, therefore, can provide powerful insight into the mentality of the American people in historical context. Eisenhower's presidency and his farewell address can only truly be understood through the lens of Cold War philosophy and rhetoric, and highlights many of the anxieties and attitudes of the American people during an incredibly turbulent time in American history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayOne of Eisenhower's primary goals during his presidency was to ensure that the United States was in a position of unipolar global hegemony. Assure the American people that this is true; “Despite these holocausts, America is today the strongest, most influential and productive nation in the world.” His presidency had seen many small proxy conflicts, especially in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. To establish himself as a successful president in the eyes of the American people, he reminds them that he has kept America strong through his foreign policy. He wants to be remembered this way because the populous admires and reveres the strength and confidence during the mid to late 1950s. Despite the fact that the United States and the USSR pursued incredibly similar foreign policy goals, Eisenhower had to present himself as the figurehead of good. , the antithesis of Stalin, Khrushchev and the USSR. He did this by presenting his foreign policy in terms of morality; “Throughout America's journey to free government, our fundamental purposes have been the maintenance of peace; promote progress in human achievements and strengthen freedom, dignity and integrity”. Eisenhower establishes that, although his goals may have been the same as the USSR's, the United States seeks unipolar rule for noble reasons; “We pray that people of all faiths, of all races, of all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those who have been denied opportunity will come to enjoy it to the full; so that all who desire freedom may experience its spiritual blessings.” He therefore characterizes his foreign policy successes as president as a continuation of America's noble destiny, rather than a simple power struggle or, at worst, a violent violation of the country's sovereignty. other nations. However, his actual commitment to ensuring freedom and opportunity for all people may be questionable. For example, he secured the Military Alliance of Madrid for strategic reasons despite the fact that it was under a fascist regime. Domestically, he launched "Operation Wetback" to deport and ban immigration to the United States from Mexico and opposed social "safety net" programs. Thus his "commitment to freedom and opportunity for all people" in his speech may have been more a reflection of his Cold War strategic policies than an overarching humanitarian philosophy. During the Cold War it was common to use Christian rhetoric to counter the United States. to the “godless” Soviet Union. We see this reflected several times in Eisenhower's farewell address; “We are faced with..