Thanks.
I think a lot of Republican citizenry genuinely believe this, though I have only anecdotes (people I know well) to make me think so. They are easily convinced that somehow, even though all three branches of the federal government are majority controlled by Repubs, Democrats (the minority party) are somehow forcing the government to do all the unpopular or underhanded things it does. So it’s equally easy for them to be convinced that the FBI was controlled by Hillary, “13 angry Democrats,” Obama, George Soros, and the “deep state” (which is of course full of Democrats), who are wealthy and all-powerful and were all trying to take Trump down yet somehow failed, supposedly because he is so awesome, I guess. Even with millions of illegal votes for Hillary, Trump still won, doncha know? /gag :rolleyes:
But… But it’s Deep State! The absence of its evidence proves how insidious it is.
And, indeed, confirms its very existence. *Quod erat demonstrandum. *Next case!
In my view “Deep State” is just the latest iteration of the recurring paranoid conspiracy theories that plagued the White House for decades, whether it’s Bush Sr.‘s New World Order or the Clintons’ kill list or Bush Jr.'s “shadow government” or Obama’s FEMA camps. The difference now is that the paranoid loons that have promoted these theories previously have now found a kindred spirit in the White House, so the standard CT has been adjusted to move the President from the “Them” column to the “Us” column, with the rest of the government remaining as insidious figures working to undermine freedom, democracy, justice and pie. Now it’s Trump that is the target of these shadowy manipulators, and all the negative press about Trump is more evidence of how they’re all working to bring him down. But despite the changes it remains the same idiotic paranoid nonsense it has always been, and anyone espousing it can be assumed to be limited in their critical reasoning skills.
I was trying to recall whether there was anything like this during the Reagan administration or earlier, but I suppose that when the Cold War was in full swing it would have been the Reds that these people would have been terrified of. Once the longstanding traditional enemy of all that is good and holy withered away, the freestanding paranoia sought other, less well-defined, boogiemen to attach itself to.
I don’t think there’s much difference between these two formulations. Essentially the idea is that the Deep Staters are loyal to their own vision of what’s right for the country - whether or not aligned with the previous administration - and in opposition to the views of the current administration. They use their nominally neutral authority to stymie the current administration’s efforts, whether by leaks or otherwise.
I would be very surprised if this was not taking place to one extent or another.
And the concept is not a new one. I don’t know how far the word goes back, but the basic concept - i.e. the official ruler being thwarted by civil servants down the line - was discussed at least as far back as Czarist Russia, and probably forever.
It’s also why we have a Civil Service system - to stabilize the government and its institutions, which we have decided over the long term that we need to have and to keep operating well, in spite of the whims and attitudes of its temporary custodians.
My thoughts on the yammering of the right about a “deep State” is that they are the masters of projection.
Yesterday Trey Gowdy was on Fox discussing the IG Report. He noted that it says that there was no intent by Hillary to commit a crime by using her private server. Trey then argued that she needs to appear before Congress so that they can question her and judge her intent.
On the other hand, Republicans have loudly denounced the fact that Mueller needs to have Trump answer questions about his intent to obstruct justice because no one can say what someone’s intent was.
The hypocrisy just never stops.
And Trump will just lie anyway. But it would be comical to hear what kind of excuse he would use. Probably use the always popular - “Comey was being unfair and ‘mean’ to Hillary”. That’s always good for a laugh.
Did he forget the time she appeared before Congress already?
Prior to having a professional and permanent civil service – otherwise known as The Deep State – we had the Spoils System, as in: to the victor go the spoils. Where every postmaster and customs agent owed his job to political connections to the party in power; and the system was rife with corruption.
Getting rid of the spoils system was one of those progressive reforms of the late 19th/early 20th century.
Trump’s agenda is the destruction of the US. The Deep State’s agenda is the preservation of the US. Thus, yes, they are opposed to the President’s agenda, and doing everything they can to thwart it.
I think Trumps agenda is winning.
For himself. That’s it. Full Stop. HE must win.
IMHO, he has made this clear for his entire, pathetic life. “Fuck the other guy.” Fair deals don’t exist in his world because that must mean he lost something.
Doesn’t matter what happens to the US.
Exactly. Thump’s vision is very narrow. He doesn’t care about the US enough to want its survival or destruction. He can’t see past the end of his, er, nose… and that’s a very short distance indeed. He has no agenda, no master plan, no strategy, no policies–all of that requires thought, analytical skills, and an attention span longer than that of a goldfish. He wants to feel like a winner and to imagine that others see him as a winner. That is the long and short of it.
Is it old-fashioned for me to say I’d follow that motherfucker through the gates of Hell? I’m an Air Force brat, raised to follow–and to be–a Leader. Trump ain’t no Leader.
QFT. I fear less for the Republic with this Leatherneck in the drivers seat.
It’s the difference between a man who has dedicated his life to public service, true courage, intelligence, character, ethics, bravery and compassion… and Trump, who is the opposite of everything this country was founded upon.
As I said in another thread, Mueller is the anti-Trump. So long as he has not yet taken his shot and failed, I will continue to believe he is our best, brightest hope to lead any charge of salvation for our nation.
That doesn’t mean I will lazily rely upon him to do the job. But he will lead the charge by shining a disinfecting light on the many cockroaches now running this shit show. I hope every decent citizen will follow and do everything they can to right the ship. I know I will.
Apologies for many mixed metaphors. This has just been so fucking painful.
Michael Cohen has just resigned as deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee’s Finance Committee. Just now?
Cohen takes swipe at Trump’s immigration policy: