Re: [PEN-L] The USA has become the South

[Eugene Coyle]

re the distinction:   I was talking about the 1950s, perhaps you are thinking of now?  But the career military officer corp then was heavily weighted toward southerners.  And that meant that a southern heritage was a plus for carerr advancement, so it was self-perpetuating.  A service academy (West Point, Annapolis) degree was the real plus. Jim Devine wrote: is the distinction here South vs. North -- or is it small town/farm vs. big city? On 9/14/05, Eugene Coyle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: If you read the lists of potential Supreme Court nominees, you'll find a striking preponderance of those from the South. When I was in the Air Force the great majority of the officers who became lifers were from the South. I'm sure that was (Is?) true of the other services as well. A military career was both in line with traditions and better paying than jobs at home.