An analysis of the U.S. secretaries of war and defense (the name was changed from secretary of war to secretary of defense in 1947) gives us some insight into the nature of the relationships within the “military-industrial complex.” Though these secretaries are not the only gatekeepers of the warfare-welfare state (and perhaps not even the most important ones), they do perform a crucial function in coordinating the collectivist, rent-seeking corporate entities with the political parties and their largely social-democratic agendas.
Of 41 secretaryships since 1900, we are looking at 39 individuals, two
having served twice under two separate presidents. These 39 secretaries came
from 19 states only. The overwhelming majority were from the Atlantic seaboard.
Strikingly, 41 percent of these secretaries of defense and war came from just
three states: New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Casting our net a bit wider
geographically catches two-thirds of the secretaries. These three states were
populous ones, to be sure, but for the whole period, their average percentage
of U.S. population would be something under 20 percent. Furthermore, very few
came from the great cities. The secretaries from New York were far more likely
to come from Clinton (Elihu Root) or Glen Falls (Robert Patterson) than New
York City. These were mostly small-town kids from western Pennsylvania, upstate
New York, and adjoining districts.......To Read More.....
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