# So is it a big deal that the next CIA head is a military man? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 8, 2006, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-it-a-big-deal-that-the-next-cia-head-is-a-military-man/355865 "2006-05-08T10:16:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-it-a-big-deal-that-the-next-cia-head-is-a-military-man/355865/21 "2006-05-17T18:48:53Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] This articvle implies that our forfathers were worried about the power of the military and their ability to take over much of the government. Appears they wanted a balance with the military .And wanted to check the threat ofv military takeover. They sought a check and balance between military and civilian control. [/QUOTE] Not a balance, they wanted the military always and entirely subordinate to civil government, as it should be. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-it-a-big-deal-that-the-next-cia-head-is-a-military-man/355865/22 "2006-05-17T22:40:08Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] This articvle implies that our forfathers were worried about the power of the military and their ability to take over much of the government. Appears they wanted a balance with the military .And wanted to check the threat ofv military takeover. They sought a check and balance between military and civilian control. [/QUOTE] I don’t think that the forefathers had the CIA in mind. I believe that the first POTUS had a military background. A military takeover doesn’t mean that somebody from the military gets a job in the civilian side of government. The forefathers wanted to co-op an \*illegal \*military coup. The balance is in that Congress, not the military, raises the money for the military. Congress commissions the military. The balance is not a product of who gets appointed or elected, and how to keep the military out of government, any more than the balance of powers is upheld by prohibiting a lawyer from joining the military, or by disallowing a Congressman from becoming a President. It is a product of the electoral/legislative, etc… process. hh ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-it-a-big-deal-that-the-next-cia-head-is-a-military-man/355865/23 "2006-05-20T02:09:23Z")
I wonder if those who are “nervous” about Gen. Hayden’s nomination aren’t actually a little tired of the Bush administration’s cluelessness about appearances. He shuffles a few staffers around, to no apparent effect; he refuses to deep-six his SOD as a warning to the generals that pretty much anyone is expendable, so let’s get this Iraq thing figured out and pronto; his popularity numbers are the third lowest in the past half-century; and now he nominates a hard-line general to run the CIA. It’s as if nobody in the White House is saying, “Hey, fellas? Y’think maybe we ought to get somebody who at least won’t bring a shitstorm of protest down on us from the liberals? Just this once? How 'bout it? Let’s nominate somebody really good, who will really get the job done and kind of looks like, oh, I dunno, maybe Jim Schlessinger or Al Dulles, and a little less like Dr. Evil with glasses? It’s just a thought.” It’s as if the last time anyone in the White House had a truly good idea was back in 1998 when somebody said, “Wow, let’s run the governor of Texas for president again and see what happens!” It’s the utter and complete lack of sensitivity about the administration’s appearance of creating itself as royalty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-it-a-big-deal-that-the-next-cia-head-is-a-military-man/355865.md?page=1)