Perhaps the fact that Eisenhower's immediate successor, JFK, was a drug-addled, hedonistic pervert and incompetent commander-in-chief, give Ike a rosier glow in our memory. The fact remains, however, that Eisenhower gave the United States eight years solid, strong leadership. He should be remembered fondly for that.

Eisenhower was generally a good president. Not a great one, but a good one overall. The most significant events that I remember were the Supreme Court rulings outlawing segregation (which Eisenhower didn't agree with), and the Russian launch of Sputnik while our rockets were blowing up on the pads. Where Eisenhower showed his real talent was as commander on D-Day and the defeat of the Germans in Western Europe. That was his most important contribution to this country.

A long-time fiction: whoever controls Kabul runs Afghanistan. That has never been true and still isn't. "Taliban scum were exterminated," you say. The Taliban far outnumber the forces of the Kabul government and our own. Are you saying this is a war of attrition -- like Vietnam? The "stable" government left in Kabul when the Soviets pulled out lasted around 5 years. When we pull out will the current Kabul government last even that long? I guess we'll find out.

Not at all, but I try to view the world realistically, rather than through pink glasses. One incident does not a trend make. Afghanistan is still a divided tribal state. A major requirement for creating a nation is that the people consider themselves primarily a part of the nation -- not a tribe, or a region. I don't claim to know what will happen. I will wait and see, but I don't have unrealistic expectations either. Do you know of a relatively primitive country, with little education or experience in nationhood, that was able to become a democratic nation by having it imposed on them? I don't. Why don't you educate me.

Cults of Personality Like a reluctant FDR before him, we are building memorial to Ike. He too, I suspect, wouldn't want this. Anymore than FDR did. This Cult of Personality. Like one finds in totalitarian societies. Societies both men fought against. Is this what we've fallen to? This Orwellian world we've created? Hon. Steven W Lindsey state rep Keene, NH (PS I do love the souless corporate edifice raising up behind the human-scale front space.)

"Unlike the retro Carroll, most voters are under 50 and have no direct remembrances of the assassinations." You dismiss those assassinations so blithely. If someone didn't see it on television or Youtube, they are unimportant? A lot of us remember them, and a lot of younger citizens grew up with those tragedies even though they don't remember seeing them., because of their impact on their parents and the national psyche. Whether you choose to recognize it or not, the shame brought on the Secret Service by a few will have lasting impact.

Homage to a good man and President like Dwight Eisenhower is belittled when it comes from a "person" like you. But you got your attention, didn't you?

I hardly think that creating a memorial to a war hero and good President is equivalent to creating a "Cult of Personality". Is this a joke? Are you really the State Rep from NH? For Keene's sake, I hope this is a goof.

Inability for self-reflection is characteristic of Authoritartian regimes. The book, The Man in the Grey Flannel suit,shows that the US in the 50's did not go so far in that direction that we could not allow such a book to be published. The same applies to this article.Fortunately, we have articles such as these freely written in our newspapers,although not enough of them.

Nice job on a reflection of some elements of the big picture. Clearly many folks are not able to relate to the tenor or the breadth of the observations, and get lost in debating minutia.