www.lesswrong.com/posts/fv6mDtQaC5bneAB8H/anthropic-has-solved-alignment
1 correction found
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
The U.S. Cabinet office of “Secretary of War” was abolished in 1947; the modern cabinet position is Secretary of Defense, not Secretary of War.
Full reasoning
Why this is incorrect
The post describes “Pete Hegseth” as Secretary of War. In the U.S. federal government, the Cabinet position “United States Secretary of War” existed historically but was abolished in 1947, replaced as part of the post–World War II reorganization by the Department of Defense and its head, the Secretary of Defense.
Evidence
- The historical office “United States Secretary of War” is documented as “Abolished” and superseded by the Secretary of Defense (among other changes) after 1947.
- Current federal law establishes “a Secretary of Defense” as head of the Department of Defense.
Because the Secretary of War office no longer exists as a current Cabinet role, calling someone “Secretary of War” as their government title is factually wrong in modern U.S. government context (even if used rhetorically).
3 sources
- United States Secretary of War - Wikipedia
The article describes the office as a historical cabinet position and lists its status as “Abolished” (September 18, 1947) and “Superseded by Secretary of Defense …”.
- 10 U.S. Code § 113 - Secretary of Defense (Cornell LII)
“There is a Secretary of Defense, who is the head of the Department of Defense …” (10 U.S.C. § 113(a)(1)).
- U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) | USAGov
USAGov’s agency directory entry for the “U.S. Department of Defense (DOD),” reflecting the modern department structure rather than a War Department/Secretary of War.