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Financial Times
CommentaryFariborz S. Fatemi November 25, 2016 Why should the "unusual" nature of Donald Trump'sappointments be a surprise. Elections have consequences. Remember how duringhis campaign for the presidency of the United States, he proclaimed on severaloccasions that he knows more than the generals (probably from watching TV). Theirony of his statement is that he has now surrounded himself with formergenerals. He has one next to him as national security advisor and now it isrumored that he is considering another general to head the defense department.Never mind that there is a critical and traditional reason why a civilianshould head the defense department. But the President-elect probably doesn’tknow that. As former Congressman Mike Rogers, a Republican, who headed theHouse of Representatives intelligence committee said recently, “You don’t wanta military attitude in the civilian position. When you get to that defensesecretary role, it has to be a broader, strategic impact brought to anydecision you make in any strategic event you make around the world.” There is a great deal of concern among manyforeign policy types, including conservative hawks, about putting a militaryman in charge of the Pentagon. It does not matter how good that person is. Weare not a militaristic society and Trump, wittingly or unwittingly, by hischoices is making us one. What he seems not to understand is that the Presidentand the secretary of defense are the leading individuals in the chain ofcommand. They should be civilian to embody the principle that we have not beentaken over by the military like any other banana republic. His appointments continue to lack that basicunderstanding of governing. Or maybethis is exactly what his supporters voted for? Chaos at the highest levels.