The "Deep State" is a newly minted term to describe the resistance of unelected bureaucrats to the promise by President Trump to "drain the swamp". As daily headlines scream to us about the latest horrible thing President Trump is alleged to have done, we should not be drawn into "he said, she said" arguments, but instead should be looking at the larger implications of massive leaks within our intelligence community.
President Obama spent three months on vacation, and now is back. Hillary spent months "in the woods" and has now declared herself to be "part of the resistance". Conservative Republicans (think John McCain) are taking their own potshots at our President as well. Think about it; is it really a coincidence that we are being subjected at this time to a systematic daily campaign of alleged controversy concerning President Trump?
Where are our intelligence services on the acts of Treason represented in all of these leaks? The fact that they are missing in action tells me that the intelligence services themselves are aiding the Deep State to attempt to overthrow the election of our President.
Regardless of whether we like President Trump or not, we should be chilled by the thought of unelected bureaucrats attempting to overthrow ANY President.
It is becoming apparent President Trump cannot drain the swamp on his own. It is time for the President to create a third major political party based on the Constitution and reduction in Federal powers in favor of the States. With a third party, he will empower his supporters to help change the power structure of two-party corruption in Washington DC.
Comments
Trump going to “drain the swamp” by filling the swamp with a pack of ignoramuses may be new however.
The reason Trump has “. . . daily headlines scream(ing) to us about the latest horrible thing President Trump is alleged to have done . . .” is really very simple.
The man has NO CLUE of what he is doing.
It is obvious to Tubularsock that you are a fan of this President. And to each their own poison. But if you want to blame Trump’s incompetence on the “Deep State” and by doing so not face the stark reality that running the country is NOT a reality TV show then go right ahead.
However as destructive as the Deep State has been to this country it will not go easily in to that goodnight!
It will take way more than a new political party. It will take civil war. And that ain’t going to happen because “the football/baseball games are on tonight”!
The Deep State HAS ALREADY overthrown Trump as it did Obummer and Shrub. When it comes to continuing ALL the wars we’ve started throughout the world and the continued relinquishing our Constitutional rights you can start to see the pattern.
Now Tubularsock is not interested in an argument. You can believe whatever makes you comfortable. Most Americans do. But REAL CHANGE will have to take REAL ACTION and that is not in the cards for America-The-Asleep.
Thanks Norman.
We should be chilled by the thought that unelected people not be permitted to speak their mind. None of these people are attempting to “overthrow” Trump, but it’s well within their right as Americans to try and get Trump impeached.
Tubular Sock....I hate to say it, but you might be right about apathy winning the day in America. Trump has given some of us a glimmer of hope....though the leviathan of the State and Media is quickly proving to be more than up to the task of eliminating this disruption of status quo.
One day Phoenix may rise from the ashes of this great experiment of individual rights embodies in the US Consitituion.....or we may soil our collective nest on this planet to the extent we destroy ourselves. Time will tell. In the interim, I cling to hope that we elected a true outsider to President, and that it matters.
Errrm, no. That's just completely wrong. It isn't a new term and the deep state doesn't consist of bureaucrats.
That's the impression we have here in Europe too. At least, some of us. But not enough to drive the US deep state (NATO in our case) out of our region....
Got some more on that guy ? There's a few out there...
Unintended Consequences by John Ross.
Here
Thanks.
PS - There is a lot I can do and would like to do on your behalf. For example, this article was written by an author deserved of some feedback.
Rice ? You seem not to notice that WOMEN in politics are the worst. See Thatcher and Clinton. Their emotions lead to fatal decisions. I don't say that we don't need emotions, but when you look at history, women can be extremely shortsighted and cruel when it comes to war.
Remember the story about the daughter of Trump: Oh, these poor children in Syria. Let's bomb those bad bad people ? Whether that's true or not: Emotions provoke war, they do not prevent it.
All of the hysteria will eventually fade because in the end the Republicans want to retain power and they have the votes and support outside of NYC, DC & LA to make that happen - as was proven during the last election. Their days are numbered - they know it - and they are terrified because of it.
I have NO DOUBT that attempts will be made on Trump's life that will be aided and abetted by "Deep State" psychopaths. The "Progressives" never could win anything or pass anything on its merit alone - it ALWAYS requires corrupt politicians and judges. The SCOTUS is due for a drastic house cleaning over the next 4 years, as well as the 20 Democratic Senators from Red States. In the end, the "Progressives" will have led the once great Democratic Party to the "Ash Heap of History". Just like the USSR, they will eventually collapse under the weight of their own evil.
President Trump does his best work when he is opposed. Like you, I can't wait to see what he does next to take it to the Deep State. I hope they don't assassinate him, but admit it's a very real possibility.
In the mean time, it would be nice if NATO nations payed the 2% of GDP as agreed for their member-protection. President Trump has been vocal on this issue.
To be sure, the Swamp needs to be drained, but the list of people to be flushed should have nothing to do with criticism of Trump. Furthermore, Trump has no right to drain the swamp of people elected into office, he does have an obligation to drain the swamp of anyone that works for the Federal Government and is not providing the taxpayers a value for his or her services. In other words, just about everyone needs to be fired.
It seems to me Comey is as much of a victim of corruption as a perpetrator of bad management. He was shoved into the deep end of the pool with a very bad, very public recommendation not to prosecute Hillary as a result of his boss (Lynch) being compromised and recusing herself (meeting with Clinton on an airport Tarmac under secretive conditions). Everything that has happened to Comey to erode confidence in him has derived from that original sin.
Government corruption is not party-specific, which further clouds the Comey issue. It will be interesting to see if the recently announced special prosecutor pursues any rabbit trails of illegality that lead to Obama and/or Clinton.
I see the press putting on a good bit of pressure but its because people on both sides (perhaps not in deep red states) want some answers.
I see controversy after controversy and a constant state of defense. I dont understand why, people are entitled to dislike your choice of President.
The rest of the country had to listen to conservatives drone on about Obama and Clinton for 8 years and watch her investigated I dont even know how many time during her career. Im not saying it didnt need done..but now its your turn. Over half the voting public do not trust Trump, give them the benefit of doubt and let this play out.
This cannot go on like this, the state of the nation as far as democracy goes is in flux. You are entitled to your opinions about how stupid the rest of America is, except for you guys.
But let people investigate Trump and Russia, if there is nothing to hide, then so be it, he will be exonerated as was Clinton. We wasted what 100 million on Clinton..now its Trumps turn at bat. But good lord, let it happen and lets move on.
Tubularsock is interested in a country that leads by example not bombs for control.
And putting Trump in office and having him curtail worker safety regulation to make it more dangerous on the job. To curtail protection of drinking water and air standards so we are poised in our own communities. That to Tubularsock is not only stupid but insane.
The sad part is that people really don’t pay attention when the other guy’s wife gets her hand cut off in the cannery because of lax safety standards. But when it hits your own home then there is the outcry of “how’d this happen”?
Trump, like Killery does not provide good leadership. They are in their own rich bubble and are out to just make themselves and their friends richer. And fuck over the rest of us!
Trump is already using his position to make money for his businesses and unless you are a close buddy of the guy you and I will just be paying our taxes to help him build his next exclusive golf club.
Then the neocons and corporatists will be in pig heaven with Pence. No issue starting wars and destroying what's left of the middle class to benefit the corporations and Wall Street.
I'll just watch it all one day soon fall down as America becomes the home of the poor and desperate. I'll probably die along with the millions more. The corporatists will go off to their far flung islands and stash of hard assets to wait out the apocalypse. The dumb ones will lose all of their paper wealth and join the paupers.
It's important to remember too that the name "Clinton" could refer to one of two people. While most think of Bill Climton in connection to Special Prosectors (Ken Starr), it is important to note that with the most recent appointment of Mueller to investigate Russian influence on the US Presidential election and "related matters" this could also give Hillary her time under the magnifying glass. I think most thinking people, whether Left or Right recognize the Clintons both operate in the shadows when it comes to legality, power and influence. To the Democrats I say, "be careful what you wish for, because you might get it".
So the Deep State has "Investigations" ... I guess some people believe that the Deep State will find ALL Inappropriate and Corrupt actions by the Deep State and then prosecute the Deep State to full extent of the law.
It would be nice if more people recognized "Show Trials" (like the Stalinist Show Trials). When an "Investigation" is on TV and Politicians do the "Investigating" to SHOW how they are so wise, and benevolent, and NEVER Self-Serving ... then it's a Show Trial.
Why does the FBI keep "searching" for the Russian link to "Hacked Email" when CLEARLY Emails were Leaked by a DNC Staffer with IT access.
Why is it that NO ONE in the Media has reported:
The FBI discovered that DNC Staffer Seth Rich leaked as many as 40,000 emails which were very negative toward the Hillary Clinton campaign.... In completely UNRELATED News, DNC Staffer Seth Rich was later MURDERED on the streets of DC.
Because the FBI (Feral Baby Incinerators) was created and still acts as a tool of political repression.
A distinction has to be made between those people who're actively - though openly! - campaigning and working against Trump and those actually in the Deep State. I believe both exist. I suppose those in the Deep State are actually within the Government; or at least within the state. Thus, in and of itself, it can't be said that Obama and Clinton are part of the Deep State. However, they'll know many in the Deep State and they'll effect it in various and many ways from the outside.
It'll also depend what you class as the state and the government. Here is the U.K. it's ironically the Left which has always stressed the political power of civil servants. Civil servants keep their jobs when the government changes – at least in the U.K. There was even a well-known BBC comedy serious called “Yes Minister” in which the sole subject was civil servants controlling and subverting the power of the government; though not the state.
How wide is the Deep State? Gramscians would include professors, teachers, journalists, political activists, lawyers, etc. as having a role in either subverting the government or backing it up (if the government is Leftist!). Indeed a politician called McDonald, here is England, admitted that he's a Gramscian and said that he joined the Labour Party to make it more communist and revolutionary in nature. He could be in Government come June the 9th.
I said Gramsci; though Americans should read Saul Alinsky.
“Where are our intelligence services on the acts of Treason represented in all of these leaks? The fact that they are missing in action tells me that the intelligence services themselves are aiding the Deep State to attempt to overthrow the election of our President.”
The intelligence services, surely, aren't “aiding the Deep State”. They are part of it!
Sorry to bring up England again. I'm not surprised at all that nowadays large parts of the state are Democrat and thus anti-Trump. Here is the U.K., the police chiefs - not the rank and file! - are now all Oxbridge graduates who study things like “community cohesion” and “embracing diversity”. They pass on these Marxist teachings to the rank and file in the police. That means that the British police take a politically-correct - and sometimes downright leftwing - position on most issues.
Exactly the same is true of U.K. lawyers and the judiciary – especially of lawyers!
Saul Alinsky recommends how to wage war to further a Progressive agenda. It's increasingly hard to ignore we are at war throughout the world. If we don't start fighting back against anti- nationalist forces, we sre in a real danger of losing our identities as countries, our economies and our way of life.
The prospect of Trump cleaning house and getting rid of the majority of the useless bureaucracy terrifies them. This is not simply a difference in ideology - these people are finally seeing what it's like to be a steelworker, coal miner, auto worker, tradesman looking over your shoulder for the next layoff or plant closing. Their over-reaching regulations, excessive taxation, red tape, permits to take a bowel movement, etc. chased many industries out of this country and now the people are seeing a chance to dish it out to them.
Exponential population increases that place demand on finite resources is destined to end in only one place; scarcity, conflict, famine & death. (see my article on big oil). The Deep State may be attempting to prepare for this time.
I believe this is why Obama took so many anti-US positions. If you accept my premise, Obama then viewed himself as President of humanity, and therefore felt justified in policies that dragged the US down while elevating other countries, the environment etc.
The Deep State/Progressive view is anti-Darwinist. If you believe in American exceptionalism, you are then an enemy of the Deep State.
Now that the human race has the ability to destroy itself many times over, it's difficult to compeletely discount Deep State doctrine. However, if the human race is going to reach a population explosion tipping point, I think that I'd rather get there with the US still on top economically instead of being reduced to an equal level of starvation with the rest of of the planet........this is why Trump is such a Deep State target no doubt.
To Georges point, Deep State thinkers can literally afford to hold anti-nationalist views as they stock their private islands against a time when population growth outstrips resources.
British police are as right wing as it gets.
I am not familiar with British police.....though your point may be correct that UK police the rank and file may be right wing, based on the comment by Paul he singles out their leadership that is increasingly the problem. I find that believable.
In an effort to address these questions (and enrich themselves in the process - think Al Gore) the Deep State is increasingly attempting to change the world to the detriment of first-world nations.
We must first recognize we are in a war to keep our countries and way of life intact, then commit to fight these forces that would tear them down.
Could it be happening in the USA, a much bigger country than Sweden? Recently I read a novel by Barry Eisler, title The God's Eye, which is set against a background of NSA surveillance, institutional paranoia and Washington inter - agency politics. That too seemed very plausible.
That's just gobbledegook.
You don't have a clue about the subject.
How about a craving for power, the most addictive thing known to humanity. Cut pure power with self righteousness and you have the model for the 'deep state' mindset
NATO is a voluntary alliance of nations for the purpose of mutual protection to which any member nation may withdraw at any time
NATO is not a voluntary alliance, we were told it was one against the "threat of communism" about 30-40 years ago. Which was a lie even then anyway. I mean: Is it ANY business of a Western state if Russia or China are communist (not that communism exists(ed) in reality anyway) ? It's NOT.
It was their decision whatever they choosed and we got fuck all in this !
The majority of Europeans which follow different news channels and the net for years have found out that NATO is no more than a hegemonist economics club. Defense ?
Hah. Ever heard of the Genscher/Kohl-Gorbachev pact ? NATO does nothing else than to provoke war for economic interests labeled as "justice, freedom and democracy for all".
Look who sits in those gremiums and who finances it. You will get to the same handful or crooks.
From Kissinger to Brzezinski to Goldman Sachs and the like, and back to the newcomers like - Macron. The new French "president". A pupil of the deep state.
1. Remove amygdala in human brain, or restrict it.
2. Try to get people back to basics and empathy, material wealth is NOT the essence of life.
3. Try to trade and deal FAIRLY with all nations, and accept cultural and religious differences.
4. Create jobs, don't exploit. The better off and educated people are, the less they will blindly follow leaders and ideologies. And they will produce less children. Seen in Europe.
5. Accept that no nation has a right to LEAD the planet.
Its easy to throw rocks at efforts to maintain world peace against world war. Is there self interest, corruption, power and intrigue at work in Nato and the United Nations? Of course there is; we are only human after all.
We have had widespread relative peace and societal wealth for so long that many of us have unlearned that humanity evolved brutality, selfishness, warlike tendencies and greed as survival traits and the still have the very good chance of playing out against the world stage.
Stone, World War makes what you are complaining about today look like Kindergarten. Be careful what you wish for...an end to NATO could mean war in Europe once again.
NATO is the one who means war in these days. We see that in the activities like the Maidan and the US pastime of removing governments and installing ones which follow their rules no matter where on the planet.
Sorry, but the most part of the world sees the US (the leader of NATO) as the biggest threat to world peace. Not only Europe. I hear that in Africa as well, and I guess Russia and China feel the same, if I interpret it correctly.
But in the US the public is not aware of that or don't care. They're conditioned to think "us first", and who is not with me is against me. As if there wouldn't be a way in the middle.
But that subject would take too long to discuss here. It started 100 years ago ;-)
We have a magazine called "Der Spiegel" - the mirror. The articles were and still are against Russia. Then, when you read the comments, you get 90 pro Russian and 10 against. But the paper hangs on its POV stubbornly. Why ? Because they have ORDER to damn one side and hail the other, no matter which POV the readers have ! They don't take that into account but keep on hammering the same phrases into people's heads for no use.
No nation state will leave you alone to live peacefully, as much as we might wish this is the case. It's human nature at work.
Of the three major powers you mention, which one would you prefer to win and rule the planets affairs? Russia, China or the US?
It would seem to me that in spite of the self interest the US exhibits, there is also plenty of restraint and altruism as well. Do you think China or Russia would do a better job of protecting the Western World?
Frankly I believe China is a better steward of the human race as a whole as exemplified by their two millennia history, but I prefer my life style and freedoms as a Westerner too much to wish for a restricted, subsistence living.
It's human nature at work.
That makes point 1.
Of the three major powers you mention, which one would you prefer to win and rule the planets affairs? Russia, China or the US?
Not mentioning point 5.....none of them. For culture: Russia. For efficiency: China. (I don't talk human rights and other stuff here). For climate: The US ;-)
But I can only judge the US because I've lived there. I have friends who immigrated to Russia, and they are very happy there - friendly people, no crime, very helpful and easy going. I don't mention material wealth, I never look at that side in general. I don't care for that much. The basic needs have to be met, but that's it. The rest is up to anybody.
China is a blank spot for me. I lived in Asia, but I never really got into deeper relations with the people, maybe I was too young at 21.
I worked in the US and Canada, and, frankly (apart from the climate) I thought Canada was the better US ;-)
Protecting from WHAT ? We're neither afraid of China or Russia here in Europe. The press wants to feed that.
And...what's the definition of "Western world" anyway ? Which values do we have to defend against whom ? Russia uses iShit and eats McDonalds and hip hops. So isn't that "Western" ?
You see, all is propaganda and lies.
The bottom line is that we need to be on guard at the local level against our government taking action to reduce the powers of State in favor of open borders and world government.
All that being said, Trump is a border guy, and has openly opposed nation building and NATO (in spite of his recent political posturing). Eliminating ISIS I think is about as far as he is willing to go - another reason for the deep state to oppose him - he does not want to continue charging ill-conceived wars on the national credit card.
liberal democracies have to defend our cultures and values against our own ruling elite
Wrong. We never really had one, apart, in parts, maybe we Swiss. The rest which calls itself democracies are either republics or economic dictatorships (aren't we all on the bottom ?).
So what's there to defend ? We haven't even started something which we could defend later :-)
What are our "values" ? And "culture" defines itself nowadays by the capability to buy brand products ? "Cultures" you will find anywhere but certainly not in our "West" anymore. Consumer culture, sure.
Your comment about changing our nature (removing or restricting the amygdala) follows my thinking. The way I would answer this would be to change human nature as well, albeit perhaps in a more drastic fashion.
Elon Musk is pursuing a brain/computer interface. I think this is a step in the right direction. I would also make it a priority to take control of our genome and allow parents to make selections for the children they wish to have. Cosmetic choices like eye color, height, hair color would be the beginning, then choices for higher IQs, endurance, disease resistance would follow. Like you, I think the only way out of our cyclic wars and addiction to growth fueled by greed is to very gradually remove some of the unfortunate survival traits that Darwinism has bred into the human race over eons while increasing our overall intelligence. Otherwise, these naked apes are destined to eventually destroy the planet and themselves due to the perceptual filters they don't even recognize that they have....the underlying reason for the saying "history repeats itself".
Misuse would be programmed. You'll end up with a humanity of clones, beautiful looking, intelligent but without any kind of personality. And there would not be any competition left.....that's what drives us foward....to......;-)
There's no way out. Whatever you do, there's two sides to the coin. Negative - positive - 0 - 1.
That's why they teach you (brainwash you) to believe that war is man's natural state. But it clearly isn't.
As for freedom what is the imprisonment ratio in the respective nations.
Cold War propaganda never went away in the west.
A good finish. 101% agree. That's it for here, if not, I'll simply repeat....
WW1 and WW2 drew the US onto the national stage following the massive creation of wealth during the US industrial revolution. The decline of the British empire left a vacuum. It's hard to prove a negative, but I believe the world is better off with respect to war and lifestyle with the US as opposed to allowing Russia and China to fill the post WW2 vacuum....however we'll never know.
If you don't know that greed, tribalism, jealousy and seeking after power/war are part if our genetic heritage, there is nothing I can say to change your mind. Part of the thanklessness on holding back world war is that those shielded from the worst parts of human nature begin to believe that humanity is kinder and gentler than they really are.....
Under Obama, IRS employee Lois Lerner was caught targeting tea party groups with actions that included slow-walking non-profit (therefore non-tax) groups. No Grand Jury was empaneled, nor was she or her supervisors held accountable.
Hillary Rodham Clinton was found by Director Comey to have clearly violated US statutes regarding classified information; crimes an average citizen would spend years in jail for committing. Result? No charges filed.
The then head of the intelligence services Eric Clapper lied (a felony) to Congress about US Citizen surveillance that Snowden exposed with his leaks.
These crimes were not prosecuted for one reason; they served the Deep State. Make no mistake about it. The Deep State is in control of the US. The above list is just the tip of the iceberg. I think they would have already assassinated the President if they thought they would not create a martyr in the process....safer to attempt personal destruction.
Trump's administration has committed international crimes every day of his presidency including killing children.
Where's the outrage?
I tend to pay more attention to Progressives as tools of the Deep State due to their complicity in the erosion of personal freedoms. Conservatives however, specialize in serving the Deep State on issues affecting the Military Industrial Complex, surveillance and other issues.
The Deep State is not limited to one party. This is why I have been urging President Trump to carve a new, third party out of the center of both major parties to fight extremism, corruption and Deep-Statism if you will within both major political parties.
The public mood is far more socialist than for yet more wacky right wing crap.
Bernie Sanders would have blown Trump out of the race.
But a bunch of right wingers following a billionaire whose election was down to being less unpopular than his opponent can lead a popular movement?
LOLz.
He's a corporatist. He's not going to take the country back from the corporatists. He's got more Goldman people than Obama and Clinton had.
How do you dream this stuff up?
You don't get more deep state than Goldman Sachs.
America is run by the war party. And Trump may not be their chosen one but he's rolled over already. His talk was just that. Talk.
Sanders, unlike Trump, offered solutions to the economic problems that face middle America. Trump only serves the ruling class.
There is no movement. There just aren't that many committed fascists in America.
You are not hearing me on the movement aspect; it started with Perot until the media discredited him, then morphed into the Tea Party, then grew further under Trump to help elect a President. This could be a temporary blip for the US, or a revolution against Deep State Doctrine in the making. I'm betting on the glass half full. Every revolution has naysayers that say it can't be done. Is that who you want to be?
If I had to choose between the creation of a US third party (and all of the disruption it would bring) and a civil war....the third party is the obvious choice. However, they may also be the same choice in the long run. So be it.
A country needs IDENTITY. And I doubt that one can find that in places like California or Texas. LOCAL customs and "identity" maybe, but that's not enough.
Proud to be American means now proud to be a Houstonite or a Friscoian ?
Tztz LOL
They are betting on the stupidity and docile nature of the people. Just look at WB for a small microcosm of Americans and Europeans.
The world is changing. What used to be is not necessarily what will be to come. The Deep State is an equal opportunity abuser ofpower, access and influence that crosses political and racial lines. The sooner we drop our old labels and embrace this new reality, the better we can resist the erasure of our national identities.
Just look at WB for a small microcosm of Americans and Europeans.
I'm about the only lasting European here LOL
I find the cultural elitism represented by your remarks to be slightly offensive, it is the implied racism
??? Can you tell me where you had that idea ? I really wonder.
Accusing Sanders supporters of being fascists just shows your ignorance.
Your 'silent majority' must have been busy elsewhere on election day as they managed to account for even less votes than Romney gathered in 2012.
You're a right wing fantasist.
The Deep State will only die when there is social revolt to do so, including a true leader to start the fight. As of yet I see no one.
The Deep State has no party affiliation. It's based upon a world in which global elite play Master in Charge, fighting among themselves using the rest of the human race as their sacrificial toys.
You have to understand something:
The US sees itself as the leader of the world. A country which has no interest at all to even understand the history of all our peoples on the planet, how they tick and how they perceive things. No. They walk in like the elephant in the porcelain shop and smash everything.
That planet has a history that goes back thousands of years. And these people (not the regular Joe) show up and try again to play Caesar. The media tells your people that you must free the world of tyranny and create democracy. By using bombs and regime change.
The UN charta ? Fuck it. The one who has weapons decides. It will never change. Now it's your turn, later others will come. Nothing lasts. Not the Roman empire, not corporations, not the US, not even the planet in the long run.
You know what I mean ? Being humble is the only way to let our species last a little longer, for whatever purpose.
I think you didn't understand someting. We Europeans and you Americans are in the same boat. The US leads the boat and we nod. And I don't agree at all. The EU is a bunch of cowards (paid or not), not being able to tell the US: Get out of here, we can candle the Russians. They are YOUR enemies, not ours.
Is that clear now ?
That's plausible, although it sounds more volitional than it probably was.
What strikes me about Trump is how open the IC has been in its opposition, as with publishing the Dossier.
While still adamantly maintaining that nothing has changed.
Our system gives a default to States again becoming more important than the Federal Government.
The TEA Party/Liberty Movement, Obama For America in '08, Occupy in '11 and Bernie's folks were all idealistic attempts to fix the country at a national-level.
None of it could work, I think, for two reasons:
1) it is too easy to get co-opted into political squabbling instead of finding common ground and changing things (my Party winning is much less important than honest, competent people winning); and
2) the local level is easier to change than the national level and will probably be more important in the long term. (The Liberty Movement has done some good work with this since '08, but a patronage-mindset in local politics is hard to overcome: "I want to be on City Council so my Brother-In-Law can be Ass't Parks Commissioner." Citizens' Action, an off-shoot of Occupy, is also trying to 'act local"recently . . . and seems to have the same issue.)
Trump is engaging the center, which is why the cockroaches of the Deep State are coming out into the light more than they normally would.
One way to break this cycle is to carve a centrist party out of the middle that refuses to engage in social issues; a party focused only on the constitution, empowering States in lieu of the Federal Government, the economy and reform.
President Trump - we are waiting for you to declare for a new, Constitutionalist Party. In this way, those of us in the center can mobilize to help you drain the swamp and take back our country for its people.
How could you have a 'centrist party' with extremist nut jobs like the Tea Party loons in it?
You are NOT a centrist by any means. You are on the right wing fringe.
Without a separate platform, the message is going to drift. This is why we need a third, Centrist party that refuses to involve themselves in the faux social issue war, and instead focuses on the business of serving the country for its people.
"extremist nut jobs like the Tea Party loons in it?
indicates how little you actually know about the TEA Party. If standing up for the Constitution and not allowing it to be sidestepped, ignored or just plain violated is "looney" then - yeah, we're all Daffy Duck.
However, the rise of alternative messaging from both of these groups is wildly different than the past generation two-party view of the world. The rise of alternative political sub-groups is due to the same root cause; the failure of the two party system to protect American economic and social exceptionalism.
Believe me, those disaffected millenials would not be burning cars and begging for free stuff from the State if their prospects for paying back their student loans after graduation were better. In that manner they are aligned perfectly with USA/States first, constitutional messaging found in the Tea Party.
Let go of the old labels - they no longer apply. The old labels come from a time that we had 60,000 more factories in the US than we do today. They come from a time where we did not have crippling debt as a country. They come from a time that we were not exporting 600 to 800 billion dollars of our economy yearly in the form of trade deficits. They come from a time that politician corruption was a game played to benefit parties WITHIN the US, not to rob the US economically in the name of supporting a world economy.
The world has changed. The Deep State is counting on you to cling to the old definitions so that they can continue to change the country unchallenged. Don't let them get away with it.
That's just nuts. It isn't economics, it's religion.
No, financial responsibility is an acknowledgement that we can't get something for nothing. There's no mysticism involved in living within your means. The "mysticism" is all on your side with the mythology that "debt is good".
That isn't mythology, it's maths.
That's just drivel.
Really, is there any position that you take that has some actual logic behind it?
Stooping to the 'civility' defence is, in and of itself, pathetic.
As to currency issuers, there is no free ride for diluting currency to avoid national bankruptcy. One US dollar exactly 100 years ago has the comparative buying power of $20.81 today. As currency issuers print money to pay the bills, they make their citizens poorer- wages never keep up with currency devaluation.
So Greece and Puerto Rico are not currency issuers...big deal. They are bankruptcy candidates in lieu of currency devaluators..six of one and a half dozen of another.
As I said before, debt needs to occupy a balanced place on a Nation's P&L. Too much debt impacts nations negatively whether currency issuers or not. The US debt is a dam that will break and all flood the the world with devaluation when it is allowed to grow significantly in excess of our annual GNP, or when interest rates rise and we are no longer able to service the debt interest without borrowing even more.
No plotting involved other than what naturally derives from financial activities. One of the primary drivers of the Deep State can be embodied in two words: Trade Deficit.
An entire financial empire has arisen around selling American Consumers products made in other countries by underpaid people.......including children.
Some of the incredible wealth generated by this transfer of the American economy (17 trillion over the past several decades) to other countries has been applied in the form of influence with American politicians at a level that amounts to corruption.
It does not take a rocket scientist nor a conspiracy theorist to follow the money. NAFTA, TPP, "free trade" are there for anyone to see.
It takes a high level of gullibity or willful ignorance to refute the possibility of a Deep State given the evidence of media bias, intelligence leaks, cyclical senseless military actions and money in politics. So which are you Jeff, gullible or willfully ignorant- or both?
Do you have anything in your debate arsenal other than trying to take valid points on the influence of money and power to the ridiculous extreme? You appear to be somewhat of a one-trick pony, and your trick is becoming a little stale.
You said "good people can't afford to be elected officials". You've actually said the first thing that I agree with. The Deep State is nothing more than a large group of people that take positions to enhance their money and power, and do so in part by corrupting elected officials. The only reason it IS a so called Deep State is that these positions often run contrary to the national interests of the United States. Now really, is that so hard to believe? Please no more references to Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.
The thing oligarchs have today that did not exist to any great extent prior to technology is 100% access to all of our electronic communications. As they say, "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely". 100% access to otherwise private information, when acted upon by people working towards goals contrary to that of a duly elected government is the very definition of a "Deep State".
I'm curious, where does all of this ballistic energy you have against the concept of a deep state arise from?