One main purpose of Eisenhower's Farewell Address was to powerfully remind the nation that of four catastrophic wars in the twentieth century, three had seen the United States embroiled in the conflict. The eye-catching and headline-grabbing portions of the Farewell Address focus on the cold war, on the confrontational positioning of the United States and the Iron Curtain countries, and on American, free-world democracy needing to strongly confront the threats and challenges of Communism. He was arguing that undemocratic direction from above, especially if directed by big and bureaucratic government, is dangerous. It was top-down control – not the possession and funding of armed forces that reflect the needs and threats of the day – that Eisenhower found threatening. Eisenhower has gratitude to the Congress that they have been able to do so much together. "..we yet realize that America's leadership and prestige depend, not merely upon our unmatched material progress, riches and military strength, but on how we use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment." Eisenhower did a good job in giving citizens a heads up about how to stay safe and act in further situations. He warns that Americas' "purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations." "A vital element, in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction. His farewell address was a warning to his successors of one of the many things they would have to be wary of in the coming years.