The Coming Out of the Deep State

I watched with interest George Stephanopoulos’ interview of ex-FBI Director James Comey on ABC Sunday night. I was disappointed. I learned nothing new about Trump. However, I did learn much about Comey. He came across to me as a pompous, self-righteous and one-dimensional man.

Comey dispenses criticism liberally on Trump (to be expected), on former President Obama (for saying publicly twice that there is “no there-there” regarding the email investigation), on former Attorney General Lynch (for suggesting he use the term “matter” when referring to the Clinton's email investigation, for Loretta Lynch’s lack of transparency), and several others including current Attorney General Sessions.

He had no criticism for Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page and others who under his watch are alleged to have engaged in actions intended to stop Trump by discrediting him. Like the fine lawyer he is, he cleverly used language to cast doubt on Trump’s actions by saying that Trump might have committed obstruction of justice. Not for a second, did Comey stop and took responsibility for the extent to which he might have contributed to the problem, other than admitting that he had leaked memos to friends who in turn leaked them to the New York Times, in violation of established FBI protocol.

My appetite whet, I embarked on a little research, thanks to the Internet. 

Most people have for some time suspected that behind the elected government there is a shadow government. It is the latter that stymies any legislation and regulation that conflict with the so-called career government employees' agenda and self-interest. It is the latter that resists change, and it is the latter than makes voters conclude that politicians say one thing, and do another.

Secret Societies

Ardent citizens have joined forces over the centuries to counterweigh the reach and role of government. One such group, the Masons, was instrumental in fueling the rebellion against the perceived exploitive rule of the British monarch over its North American colony.

Since the Middle Ages, people have joined fraternal organizations composed of folks sharing a common craft, its mythological origins, and its sacred rituals. Secret societies exist among Protestants, Catholics, and Jewish communities.

Opus Dei (the Work of God), for example, is the catholic society founded in Spain by Jose Maria Escrivia that has been instrumental over the centuries in protecting the Church’s interests in Latin America.

B’nai B’rith is the Jewish society promoting and supporting the State of Israel. 

Since their founding many societies have slowly morphed into benevolent civic organizations.

To keep outsiders out, secret societies employ passwords, handshakes, rituals, and other symbols to foil unwanted outside attention. Their names might now be perceived as innocuous but their original purpose remains crystal clear … to further members’ political and welfare interests.

The Deep State

The term has surfaced in our current political dialog “to describe influential decision making bodies within the government that are relatively permanent whose policies and long term objectives are unaffected by changing administrations.”

The Deep State draws its power from the national security and intelligence apparatus, where secrecy is a source of power. Over time it has morphed into a so-called 4^th branch of government that in many ways is autonomous from the executive branch. Many conspiracy theories surround the use of the term Deep State.

President Eisenhower was the first to call attention to this phenomenon when he alerted the nation about the danger posed by the military-industrial complex. He was afraid that the combination could lead the nation into unwise military adventures.

President Obama’s alleged lack of success in Afghanistan’s war was engineered by the defense and national security network. In fact, he was pushed into the 2009 “surge”. He also was unable to close the Guantanamo Bay Prison Camp due to the perceived influence of the Deep State.

Currently, President Trump has accused intelligence and executive branch officials of leaking information and seeding confusion in the electorate regarding his policies. Anthropologist C. August Elliott describes the rise of the shallow state as “an America where public servants now function as tugboats guiding the President’s very leaky ship through the shallows, away from a potential shipwreck.”

The Deep State phenomenon is not unique to the U.S.  Similarities in Egypt and Turkey have surfaced recently in the press as a result of the rise of the Islamic Brotherhood in both Egypt and Turkey, and the resulting coup in Egypt by the military.

Many parallels can also be traced in Europe as elected politicians are stymied in their attempts to bring about change and reform. Large and powerful unions have joined the partnership with the Deep State to prevent what they consider a roll back of hard won collective bargaining gains. As a result, much needed changes languish to the detriment of the national interest.

Parallels

Some folks see the fingerprints of the Deep State in the revelations of the Peter Strzok-Lisa Page email exchange. Others see Comey’s book tour as another attempt at checkmating a president seen unworthy or illegitimate to hold office.

Many speculate that the mainstream media has been colluding (unnamed sources) with the Deep State in attacking President Trumps’ every move and action, and by failing to unveiling not a single redeeming value in his persona or leadership style.

Many accuse Democrat members of Congress of hurting the national interest by continually lambasting Trump with accusations of collusion with the Russians to win the election. Trump's defenders point out that not a single member of Trump’s team has yet been charged with collusion. Those who have been charged are accused with crimes either dating to misdeeds prior to the election or for not being candid with the FBI.

The existence of a shadow government run by career bureaucrats is indeed a red flag. The Deep State is not a monolith. Within there are many mini Deep States with different agendas, sinister motives, and party loyalties. Some wage passive resistance to efforts by opposing groups to scuttle legislation or by opposing specific programs.

Regardless of party affiliation, the existence and influence of the Deep State is the ultimate danger faced by our democracy. The American voter has elected none of these folks. Both parties should collaborate in purging these abusers of power …