The Thirty-Year Decline of the Establishment

The disintegration of the Establishment, accompanied by its apparent ballooning in number to encompass entire sectors of the economy, did not happen overnight. This year in fact marks what could be put forth as the 30th anniversary of the slow slide of the Establishment from the height of its power in the late 1980s until the present situation.

The year 1986 in particular stands out because it saw the death of the last great unifying figure of the Establishment, the man who had presided over its creation at the end of World War II. After his death, and of other key individuals, what followed was typical of the period following the death of any great historical figure, or in any great enterprise: his heirs, however well trained and intelligent, were not quite up to keeping the empire together.

Although loose in structure, the Establishment was very hierarchical on the level of influence from one individual to another. It is based on a corporate model, or a law firm.  Ultimately there must be a small group of people who are the leaders. Within that circle there may ultimately be one to whom the others turn to, to be the ultimate arbiter of opinion on any decision. One reason that the Establishment worked so well in those days is undoubtedly because it impeccably followed these rules. It was seen as a matter of life and death, to do so.

The death of the founder of the Establishment left a void. Fortunately there was natural successor to the founder, one who had been groomed for many years for this role. By the time of the death of the founder, there was hardly anyone to challenge him in this regard.

But although well-born and well-trained, he was never quite up to maintaining the stability of the Establishment over time. Who can blame him? It was almost an impossible task, given the historical reality of how the Establishment was created, and the historical changes that were underway. Moreover the new "heir" made a series of mistakes which accelerated the downfall of the Establishment from its hold on power.

Among other things, he was already deep into politics on a national level, and in his new role, he tried to become both leader of the Establishment and also the President of the United States. When he succeeded, among other things he naturally inspired political opposition from within the Establishment itself. Thus the Establishment broke apart into two main political factions, one of which was led by him and his family, and the other of which was led (at first) by the widow of the original founder.

This was completely predictable according the rules of the founder, namely that the insider-leaders  must remain as apolitical as possible (all the while embracing party politics as an unfortunate necessity).