General Mattis: Honorable Maverick Or Swampy Corporatist...

I don't begrudge the man a healthy interest in being paid a lot of money. Nothing wrong with that, and in fact I would be surprised if he hadn't accepted some of the many offers that undoubtedly arrived in his mailbox as his military career was winding down. Mattis: One More General for the 'Self Licking Ice Cream Cone'

Before he became lionized as the “only adult in the room” capable of standing up to President Trump, General James Mattis was quite like any other brass scoping out a lucrative second career in the defense industry. And as with other military giants parlaying their four stars into a cushy boardroom chair or executive suite, he pushed and defended a sub-par product while on both sides of the revolving door. Unfortunately for everyone involved, that contract turned out to be an expensive fraud and a potential health hazard to the troops.

It is simply a reminder that we should not canonize these people without the benefit of many years of hindsight and a healthy dose of skepticism. Miton Friedman had it exactly correct:

“I do not believe that the solution to our problem is simply to elect the right people. The important thing is to establish a political climate of opinion which will make it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing. Unless it is politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing, the right people will not do the right thing either, or it they try, they will shortly be out of office.”

&topic=world_news"> posted by CBD at 12:15 PM

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