All in the Family: Ruling Class Moves Napolitano from One Giant Bureaucracy to Another
Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
The University of California trustees’ appointment of Janet Napolitano to preside over the nation’s largest academic institution — a half million students, two hundred thousand employees, and $2.5 billion per year – is consistent with who she is and with what that university has become: yet another appendage of the ruling class.
Yes, UC’s size demands an experienced administrator at its head. Janet Napolitano’s years as governor of Arizona and as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security prove that she can run large bureaucracies. But while UC was founded to spread and advance knowledge, Napolitano’s expertise is in something radically different, namely advancing the fortunes of the Democratic Party and of the ruling class that it represents. Alas, that is why she will fill this new role for which she was chosen.
The UC trustees look to deepen their connections with the ruling class’ highest levels in Washington, to bring in money, and to find places for professors and administrators to shuffle in and out of government. The Obama Administration’s leading personages seek to widen their network of patronage. Especially given the possibility that the forthcoming electoral cycles will reduce their hold on plum posts in the Federal government, attention focuses on the University of California’s myriad of well-paid sinecures. “Perfectly natural,” Michael Corleone would say.
In Washington, Janet Napolitano compiled a consistent record: She built a bureaucratic empire that produced patronage for the ruling class, and focused Homeland Security against conservatives. She covered it all with opaque management. In Berkeley, she will feel right at home.
Angelo M. Codevilla is a professor of international relations at Boston University, a fellow of the Claremont Institute, and was the principal author of the 1980 presidential transition report on intelligence. He served as a U.S. Naval Officer, a professorial lecturer at Georgetown University, and a Senior Research Fellow for the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Professor Codevilla is the author of many books, including The Ruling Class.
Trending Now on Affluent Christian Investor
Those Who Choose Security Over Liberty Deserve Neither – And Will Get Neither
Social Security Won’t Go Bankrupt — It Will Just Cut Your Benefits!
Illegal Immigration Fight Is About Election Fraud – Not Racism
Another Billionaire Bites The Invisible Hand That Feeds Him
Tucker Joins Bernie And AOC In Attacking Free Market System Again
There Are Two Americas
What This Washington Post Journalist Learned After 544 Days In An Iranian Prison
Universal Basic Income Has Already Been Tried: Here’s What Happened
AOC’s Green New Deal Worked, It Shifted The Overton Window
New York’s Disastrous Single-Payer Healthcare Plan
Joe Biden And Even Many Top GOP Officials Have Major Ties To Chinese Money
Founding Fathers’ Plan: Governments Compete Over Us
We’re Called Not To Reflect, But To Refract Him In The Marketplace
The Most Important Politician of the 20th Century Who Wasn’t a President
Socialism Is Not About Sharing – It’s About Killing
How Dumb are Trump Voters?
When The Fed Creates Money, Who Gets It?
Follow Us
The Affluent Mix
Those Who Choose Security Over Liberty Deserve Neither – And Will Get Neither... June 17, 2019 | Jim Huntzinger
Social Security Won’t Go Bankrupt — It Will Just Cut Your Benefits!... June 17, 2019 | Daniel McLaughlin
There Are Two Americas June 17, 2019 | Frank Vernuccio
Biblical Economics & Finance: Balancing Investment & Consumption... June 17, 2019 | Jerry Bowyer
Illegal Immigration Fight Is About Election Fraud – Not Racism... June 14, 2019 | Frank Vernuccio
New York’s Disastrous Single-Payer Healthcare Plan... June 14, 2019 | Daniel McLaughlin
Biblical Economics & Finance: An Introduction To Wealth... June 14, 2019 | Jerry Bowyer
How Christian Individualism Rebuilt The World Economy After WWII... June 14, 2019 | Jim Huntzinger
How I Nailed The May Payroll Bust June 14, 2019 | David Goldman
When The Fed Creates Money, Who Gets It? June 14, 2019 | Roger McKinney
Tucker Joins Bernie And AOC In Attacking Free Market System Again... June 3, 2019 | Roger McKinney
The Managers Who Rebuilt After WWII Understood Why Government Is A Growth Drag... June 3, 2019 | Jim Huntzinger
We’re Called Not To Reflect, But To Refract Him In The Marketplace... June 3, 2019 | Kevin Cullis
Conservative Arguments Against Huawei Contradict What Conservatives Used To Beli... June 3, 2019 | John Tamny
Another Billionaire Bites The Invisible Hand That Feeds Him... May 28, 2019 | Roger McKinney
Joe Biden And Even Many Top GOP Officials Have Major Ties To Chinese Money... May 28, 2019 | Frank Vernuccio
What Does Jesus Teach About Investing? May 28, 2019 | Jerry Bowyer
AOC’s Green New Deal Worked, It Shifted The Overton Window... May 28, 2019 | Daniel McLaughlin
John The Baptist’s Warning To Greedy Government... May 28, 2019 | Kevin Cullis
The Theology Of The Liberty Bell May 28, 2019 | Jim Huntzinger
Universal Basic Income Has Already Been Tried: Here’s What Happened... May 20, 2019 | Frank Vernuccio
Higher Education Doesn’t Cause Higher Earnings... May 20, 2019 | Daniel McLaughlin
Join the conversation!
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse.