In this class we discussed America’s “military industrial complex” and how it created the society we live in today.  First coined by President Eisenhower in early 1961 to describe American society’s increasing focus on the buildup of military power during the Cold War.  During this industrial concentration on tools of the military, many important advances were made.  The federal highway system (to enable swift domestic allocation of troops), computers and all of the involved technological aspects (to calculate trajectories and outcomes) are but a few of the society-shaping advances made thanks to the military.

Even colored underwear is thanks to the military!  Delving into my own knowledge, I recall that in World War 1, to avoid waving bright white flags when drying underwear, troops would often dye them dark colors to not stand out.  This may or may not be 100% accurate, but it would fit perfectly with the theme of this lesson: the US military is the source of a sizable portion of American domestic advances.

I am not claiming that the military made these advances to better humanity, out of a vacuum.  I believe that many of the technological things we take for granted today came about out of a military necessity for them, and the funding of the government in order to accomplish them as soon as possible.