# Did the US secret police fail in its duty of maintaining regime stability during the 2016 election? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 21, 2018, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548 "2018-05-21T10:31:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/121 "2018-05-21T19:27:27Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > Brennan is especially pathetic now, consigned to blabbering drunkenly on social media. _Brennan_? Okay. > [@](#): > > Has capitalism outcompeted the government for the best and brightest You have to wonder? > [@](#): > > Just face it. Your beloved state is in big trouble. That, at least, will get no argument. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/122 "2018-05-21T19:27:39Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > Much clutching of pearls over the use of the term “secret police”. IOW, you’re trolling? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/123 "2018-05-21T19:28:23Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > Bizarre attempt to paint me as a Trump supporter. I favored a Clinton win the whole time and am now upset that the nation’s secret police failed to take Trump out for the sake of regime stability. [Public Demands Investigation of Why F.B.I. Infiltrators in Trump Campaign Failed to Prevent Him from Being Elected](https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/public-demands-investigation-into-why-fbi-infiltrators-in-trump-campaign-failed-to-prevent-him-from-being-elected) ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/124 "2018-05-21T19:32:10Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > [Public Demands Investigation of Why F.B.I. Infiltrators in Trump Campaign Failed to Prevent Him from Being Elected](https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/public-demands-investigation-into-why-fbi-infiltrators-in-trump-campaign-failed-to-prevent-him-from-being-elected) Good stuff. That guy owes me royalties or something. At least an acknowledgement. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/125 "2018-05-21T19:42:03Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > Just face it. Your beloved state is in big trouble. Another good example of the bizarre pathological form of reverse projection in which the afflicted assumes that others must “love” someone or something as vehemently as he hates it. _Cf._ “Obama the Messiah,” “lol ur just butthurt becuz ur QUEEN HILLARY lost!!!@” et cetera ad nauseum. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/126 "2018-05-21T19:47:02Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > As a general comment, include me among those who often wish the Secret Deep State were competent enough to do what the wingbats attribute to it. The current administration is hampered by the same deep state that it claims to be defeating. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/127 "2018-05-21T19:55:09Z")
The nutbars used to insist the government was able to run vast, secret conspiracies competently, but nothing else. Now they’re becoming consistent about it, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/128 "2018-05-21T20:05:07Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > Just face it. Your beloved state is in big trouble. That’s a given. It _is_ North Carolina, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/129 "2018-05-21T20:09:55Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > One could also stop blowing smoke out one’s ass and just answer the question. What? And leave show business? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/130 "2018-05-21T20:14:59Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > What? And leave show business? The Aristocrats! ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/131 "2018-05-21T20:19:48Z")
Well, as a secret magick policeman, I have cast a Confusion spell over Mr. Farnaby. Of course, my familiar says there was no net change. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/132 "2018-05-21T20:32:50Z")
Here’s the thing. Did J Edgar Hoover run for congress? Did he get his employees elected to office? No, he collected secrets about congressmen and used them as leverage against those congressmen. So a couple of ex-CIA people running for office isn’t exactly how the Deep State fixes the problem of random assholes who won’t stay on script. George HW Bush wasn’t elected president by a CIA cabal. You’ve got the causation backwards. There’s no CIA cabal that runs America, instead there’s an American Elite cabal that runs the CIA. Anyway, I don’t know why you’re so shocked, since the United States has been a secret dictatorship since 1788. And then it became a double-secret dictatorship in 1865. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/133 "2018-05-21T20:39:47Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > 45 MERCY STREET BY ANNE SEXTON > > In my dream, > drilling into the marrow > of my entire bone, > my real dream, > I’m walking up and down Beacon Hill > searching for a street sign – > namely MERCY STREET. > Not there. > > … > > \*[Anne, with her father is out in the boat > Riding the water > Riding the waves > on the sea\* > Mercy Street by Peter Gabriel, dedicated to Anne Sexton](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYw9UrsFJa4) [Moderating] **Chimera** , you’ve posted more of the song than Fair Use allows. Please don’t post the full lyrics to songs or other media that are under copyright. No warning issued. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/134 "2018-05-21T20:45:43Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Apparently I live in the firemen’s neighborhood. All the lights are red. And all their wives are so friendly! ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/135 "2018-05-21T20:57:14Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > [Moderating] > **Chimera** , you’ve posted more of the song than Fair Use allows. Please don’t post the full lyrics to songs or other media that are under copyright. > > No warning issued. > [/Moderating] Well, that was a poem, but I wasn’t entirely certain if we were allowed to post them or not. Thanks for the clarification. No complete poems. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/136 "2018-05-21T21:11:29Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Very brave of you, **WillFarnaby**. You know they’re going to be out to silence you now. Do check in every once in a while to let us know you’re all right. So if Will’s alive at dawn, then we’ll know for sure that he’s imagining the _Sooper Seekrit Popo._ (Can anyone compose some theme music for them? Thanks) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/137 "2018-05-21T21:15:42Z")
Just use _Yakkity Sax_. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/138 "2018-05-21T21:25:58Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Well, that was a poem, but I wasn’t entirely certain if we were allowed to post them or not. Thanks for the clarification. No complete poems. ☹ You’re allowed to post whole poems, but only if they’re public domain. So I can post this complete poem with no problem: > [@](#): > > Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? > Thou art more lovely and more temperate. > Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, > And summer’s lease hath all too short a date. > Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, > And often is his gold complexion dimmed; > And every fair from fair sometime declines, > By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed; > But thy eternal summer shall not fade, > Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, > Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade, > When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st. > So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, > So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/139 "2018-05-21T21:40:08Z")
No time for that sissy shit. The state is crumbling! _Shake up, weeple!_ ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-us-secret-police-fail-in-its-duty-of-maintaining-regime-stability-during-the-2016-election/814548/140 "2018-05-21T21:45:53Z")
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