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Showing Original Post only (View all)Controlled By Shadow Government: Mike Lofgren Reveals How Top U.S. Officials Are At The Mercy Of The [View all]
Controlled by shadow government: Mike Lofgren reveals how top U.S. officials are at the mercy of the deep stateA corrupt network of wealthy elites has hijacked our government, ex-GOP staffer and best-selling author tells Salon
Elias Isquith - Salon
Tuesday, Jan 5, 2016 06:40 AM PST
<snip>
One of the predominant themes of the 2016 presidential campaign thus far and one that is unlikely to lose significance once the primaries give way to the general election is the American peoples exasperation with a political system they see as corrupt, self-serving, disingenuous and out of touch.
It is not an especially partisan or ideological sentiment; you can just as easily find it among supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders as among fans of Donald Trump. You can even find those who support paragons of the status quo, like Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush, making similar complaints. Its about as close to a consensus position as youre likely to find nowadays in American politics.
Yet despite the widespread agreement that something is seriously wrong with democracy in the U.S., theres much less of a consensus as to what that something is and, crucially, how to fix it. The answers Bernie Sanders offers, for example, are not exactly the same as those proffered by Donald Trump. Is the problem too much government? Not enough government? Too much immigration? Not enough immigration? Too much taxing and regulating? Not enough taxing and regulating?
Our lack of a systemic analysis of the problem is part of the reason why our answers are so diffuse and ill-fitting. And thats just one of the reasons why The Deep State: The Fall of the Constitution and the Rise of a Shadow Government, the new book from ex-longtime GOP staffer turned best-selling author Mike Lofgren, is so valuable. Lofgren puts a name and a shape to a problem that has often been only nebulously defined; and while his conclusions are not exactly uplifting, the logic and sophistication of his argument is hard to resist.
Recently, Salon spoke over the phone with Lofgren about his book, the deep state and his read on the current sorry state of American government and politics. Our conversation, which also touched on President Obamas relationship with the deep state, was edited for clarity and length:
How should we think about the deep state? Is it an elite conspiracy? A loosely defined social group? A network of specific institutions? How should we conceive of it?
Well, first of all, it is not a conspiracy. It is something that operates in broad daylight. It is not a conspiratorial cabal. These are simply people who have evolved [into] a kind of position. It is in their best interest to act in this way.
And given the fact that people would rather know about Kim Kardashian than what makes up the budget or what the government is doing in Mali or Sudan or other unknown places, this is what you get: a disconnected, self-serving bureaucracy that is simply evolving to do what its doing now. That is, to maintain and enhance its own power.
When do you think the American deep state first started?
Probably, it started in WWII, when we had the Manhattan Project...
Well, first of all, it is not a conspiracy. It is something that operates in broad daylight. It is not a conspiratorial cabal. These are simply people who have evolved [into] a kind of position. It is in their best interest to act in this way.
And given the fact that people would rather know about Kim Kardashian than what makes up the budget or what the government is doing in Mali or Sudan or other unknown places, this is what you get: a disconnected, self-serving bureaucracy that is simply evolving to do what its doing now. That is, to maintain and enhance its own power.
When do you think the American deep state first started?
Probably, it started in WWII, when we had the Manhattan Project...
<snip>
Much More: http://www.salon.com/2016/01/05/controlled_by_shadow_government_mike_lofgren_reveals_how_top_u_s_officials_are_at_the_mercy_of_the_deep_state/
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Controlled By Shadow Government: Mike Lofgren Reveals How Top U.S. Officials Are At The Mercy Of The [View all]
WillyT
Jan 2016
OP
I think the reason that Campaign Obama changed so dramatically when he took office is
rhett o rick
Jan 2016
#1
Well that's the easy part. What we do about it is the hard part. Some don't want to bother so they
rhett o rick
Jan 2016
#3
Sen Sanders can't change it but WE can. We have to force the congress to restrain the felonious five
Vincardog
Jan 2016
#6
I very much agree. We can't just get the Movement started and then sit back. We must fight on.
rhett o rick
Jan 2016
#8
I tend to agree. His appointment of Rahmbo was a big clue that he wasn't the progressive we
rhett o rick
Jan 2016
#15
I've taken to calling those of us that love the truth, regardless of where it is found, the real DU
bobthedrummer
Jan 2016
#4