I’ve seen no evidence over the last 30 years that the East Coast ivy league is capable of producing great leaders and thinkers.
This decay has somewhat mirrored the westward travel of high technology from Route 128 to California. Of course, the producers and wealth-makers can’t rely upon entrenched “old-boy” networks like the political class can - for a while, anyway.
Ah yes...the Legacy networks of somewhat inbred patricians living on their grand father’s reputations.
A free market of ideas is definitely a ruthless filter for shaking that tree, but as you said....if you get a sinecure over at CIA or State, you can cover a lot of feeble thoughts.
Too bad the wreckage that they leave in their wake is so appalling.