by Ramin Mazaheri
Imagine my surprise when, on my flight back from San Francisco to New York, that’s what my trusty New York Times revealed to me.
My first thought was: I can’t believe how this horrible Donald Trump has set up a Deep State in less than a month?!
Surely Russia was involved in its formation.
Then again, I strangely find myself thinking a lot about Russia these days. I’ll admit it – when my morning breakfast was late it fleetingly occurred to me that the Kremlin was behind this slowdown in my hotel room service.
Putting that aside, I was immediately relieved when by the 3rd paragraph our nation’s paper of record had put to rest my fears of an unprecedented formation of a US Deep State with, “Not quite, experts say….”
Whew.
I just don’t put anything past the evil capabilities of the Donald!
Reading the article I was surprised to find that the Deep State isn’t what I thought it was – apparently it’s only when the government leaks information to the media?
That’s funny, because one time on the SF-NYC “Job Creator Red-eye” I sat next to an Egyptian guy. Of course I was worried, at first, but I found out it he was a Coptic Christian, so that put me at ease. Who even knew they had those?!
This Egyptian told me about his country’s Deep State, and it sounded really bad:
He said that they colluded with “some Western countries” – he didn’t say which and looked kind of uncomfortable as he said it, for some reason – to stop that great Tahrir Square Revolution which was to guarantee that Israel would be safe.
“Mr. Gypsy” said that the Egyptian version of the Deep State was that their military controlled the economy, and that they bribed, imprisoned and killed people to keep their grip on the economy and control over foreign policy.
It sounded pretty bad.
I told him I was happy that Washington was supporting Al-Sisi’s military takeover with billions in aid, and that he didn’t have to thank me personally for that.
A “military” intertwined with the “economy”…I must admit, it did make me think.
Of Russia! I’m nearly certain that Putin created something similar over thereafter he banned elections, so why even verify it with some research?!
But this Egyptian must not have known what he was talking about, because the New York Times article didn’t say anything about the economy?
What they said was:
“Mr. Trump, apparently seeking to cut the intelligence community, State Department, and other agencies out of the policy-making process almost entirely, may have triggered a conflict whose escalation we are seeing in the rising number of leaks.”
Officials, deprived of the usual levers for shaping policies that are supposed to be their purview, are left with little other than leaking.”
Trump was clearly trying to cut public officials out of the democratic process, and they had no choice but to resort to these “illegal” leaks!
I mean, I’m pretty sure you don’t get elected to be a CIA spy or NSA agent, but somebody up top is and…well, I don’t know if they did the leaks…and I don’t know if the leaks are really true or not…but I’m telling you – we have to get Donald out NOW!
Anything that’s bad for Trump must be good. It’s really that simple, so case closed.
“We’re in a world now where the president is playing to the edge of his powers, and I think there are real concerns about the constitutional implications of some of the actions he’s taken,” said somebody who must be totally objective and perfect because why else would the New York Times choose them?
If there’s one thing Obama never, ever, ever did it was to expand his executive authority in ways unbeseeming to the presidential authority.
If Obama had done that, I would have been in the streets, you can bet! Trust me: I have my anti-Trump “pussy hat” in my closet and ready for the next protest!
Don’t bring up “drones”! You’ll just remind me of this guy at work nobody understands – Fazlollah “Lefty” Bittermani – he’s always doing that!
Between you and me, his last name ends in a vowel, so…you know….he may have certain sympathies. That guy really cheeses me off!
What Lefty doesn’t realize is that we are at war – not with Russia, yet – but with – not Muslims – but with…certain people, let’s just say. And the president has the right to fight war however he wants.
But when it comes to waging diplomacy the president must be restricted as much as possible!
We refuse to accept Hillary’s defeat until the Russians give back the Donbass to the Crimeans! This is simply a question of our humanitarian rights!
Trump is trying to make a liar out of not just Hillary, but of Sylvester Stallone and “Rocky IV” – even when the Russians cheat they are still supposed to lose to the Americans!
Was I back on Russia again? I don’t know…I’m like, obsessed with them, or something?
Back to the New York Times, which always reassures me when contradictions confuse me. Just after that last quote they wrote this:
That has forced officials in agencies to ask how far they will go themselves. As each side begins to perceive itself as under attack and the other as making dangerous power-grabs, it will justify more and more extreme behavior.
So clearly, these officials are justified more and more in extreme behavior…because it’s Trump!
I really wish we had some of these great, extreme officials during the Dubya era, but why bring up ancient history?
One thing is certain: During just four weeks in office Trump has clearly destroyed the culture and future of the United States and must be impeached. These officials – even if they are unelected – should absolutely not be listening to their elected leader!
Why? Well just read the next paragraph, another unassailable analyst of the Times:
“In President Trump, you have a president whose behavior shocks even more than the content of his policies.”
Yes! Behavior, not content!
I was telling my son this recently: He came in 19th place in a recent science competition (but out of 24!), and he was upset that his blue ribbon wasn’t an actual trophy.
I told him, “Son, I’m going to buy you that trophy because your behavior was correct, even if you totally screwed up measuring the contents of your volcano experiment, and it exploded and burned the girl next to you.”
I think the girl was Russian, anyway. She was certainly shocked.
Anyway, the Times goes on to say that now this dangerous Trump wants to appoint someone to review our intelligence agencies. Astounding, the gall of this man! I really think he’s psychologically insane.
“It looks, sounds and feels like a political witch hunt,” said Analyst #1 (the White one, not the Egyptian one). “It’s like pouring gasoline on the fire.”
It certainly does!
What else do you call our top elected official trying to find out what work is being illegally done in secret with taxpayer money?
I am certain this is something Putin would do with his KGB.
And that’s why Russia is not free – because the KGB cannot operate freely to undermine Putin’s attempts at diplomacy!
Don’t tell me I’m wrong, comrade!
“Mr. Flynn, in his short tenure, exemplified the breakdown between the president’s inner circle and career civil servants. He kept the National Security Council largely shut out of policy-making and sought sweeping changes in foreign policy.”
This is the US, not the USSR! Our career bureaucrats need to be in charge, not our elected officials!
Trump simply cannot make sweeping changes to foreign policy – even if he was democratically elected on that mandate – because career civil servants should run the show!
The next paragraph:
“For concerned government officials, leaks may have become one of the few remaining means by which to influence not just Mr. Flynn’s policy initiatives but the threat he seemed to pose to their place in democracy.”
Democracy is bureaucracy!
You vote for a person, they appoint an official, the person you voted for gets voted out of office, but the appointed official stays forever and amasses power – democracy!
I tried to explain this to that Egyptian guy, but he said, “Then what’s the point of demonstrating and facing down gun barrels if the people can’t demand change?”
I kept telling him: “But Israel is fine these days? Tahrir worked out great!”
He didn’t get it.
Anyway, Egypt is not the country who is threatening American democracy, and I don’t have to tell you who is, because I’ve just taken that pill that helps me with my compulsive psychological issues.
The Times continued:
“Even if each individual leak is justifiable, as insubordination becomes more sustained and overt, it inches deeper into the gray zone of counter-democratic activities.
I already had the feeling that every anti-Trump leaks was justifiable, and that we are still many, many inches away from counter-democracy, so thanks Gray Lady! I almost had to take that other pill for my anxiety!
And “insubordination” is clearly justified because, as I said, in 4 weeks Trump has already proven himself to be a new Hitler! Don’t get me started on Steve Bannon!
“I don’t think you can say in advance what inappropriate deep-state activity would look like, because we haven’t seen this before,” said Analyst #1.
Exactly – this is a totally new day, and this was all appropriate deep-state activity. We’ve never seen anything like this in the history of the world, much less America.
I told this to Lefty back at work and he started ranting about Kennedy. I totally did not see what Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy had to do with this, but who can fathom what goes on in the mind of a Fazlollah?
The main thing is that we get Trump before he does damage to free trade, because my corporation and all businesses are totally helpless against the government.
They have no influence at all…unlike Egypt.
“There, ‘the deep state is not official institutions rebelling,’ he said, but rather ‘shadowy networks within those institutions, and within business, who are conspiring together and forming parallel state institutions.’”
We all know that there is absolutely nothing like this which is happening in America.
And that’s why the idea of business being involved in America’s Deep State did not appear until the 7th-to-last paragraph. I almost didn’t read that far!
And that’s why the New York Times finished on this heartening note:
“This war between the intelligence community and the White House is bad for the intelligence community, bad for the White House, and bad for the nation’s security.”
See? Our so-called Deep State has nothing to do with business. The New York Times is right next to Wall Street, so they would surely know, right?
Now if you’ll excuse me I have to make a call to the Pentagon for my work.
No, I’m in defense contracting or anything, but the Pentagon is the world’s largest employer…hard to work around them in the United States!
And the profit margins – wow!
I’m so glad our owners had a personal contact in there.
Frankly, I thought the New York Times’ headline was a bit too alarmist: “As Leaks Multiply, Fears of a ‘Deep State’ in America”.
But I’m glad they immediately put those fears to rest.
With that content, I would have run a headline like: “Internal leaks justified as Trump could affect share prices”.
I think that would have been more accurate.
Frankly I’m a bit surprised such a non-story could bump Russia off the front page?
Ramin Mazaheri is the chief correspondent in Paris for Press TV and has lived in France since 2009. He has been a daily newspaper reporter in the US, and has reported from Cuba, Egypt, Tunisia, South Korea and elsewhere. His work has appeared in various journals, magazines and websites, as well as on radio and television.
Excellent article. I greatly enjoyed reading this contribution. The tongue in cheek style made reading informative and entertaining.
During just four weeks in office Trump has clearly destroyed the culture …
Huh, that’s a surprise. In Europe people hold on to the rumor that the US doesn’t have any culture of its own.
The main thing is that we get Trump before he does damage to free trade, because my corporation and all businesses are totally helpless against the government.
They have no influence at all…unlike Egypt.
A smart CEO would immediately move the company to Egypt. Mr . Mazaheri wouldn’t that be a suggestion for improvement for the company you’re working in? Maybe you’ll be rewarded with a pay raise for submitting that idea to your boss first, before any of your colleagues – like that pesky Mr. Lefty – is able to present a similar concept.
Gee whiz Mr. Mazaheri,
Of course, there is no such thing as a deep state here in amerikaland. While it is true that we have an excellent security team here at our theme park and around the world, our crack team exists solely for the protection of our paying guests and our cherished patrons – sadly there are a lot disgruntled people out there who can’t afford the entrance fee to amerikaland. Furthermore, our very professional, highly-trained and highly-skilled security team is by no means leaking any classified information; spying on any of our guests or patrons; or carrying out any nefarious counterintelligence under-cover operations at any other competetitor’s theme park in any part of the world.
While it is unfortunately true that some of our theme park competitors, such as Iranland, Chinaland, Russialand, and North Korealand engage in such unfair business practices, from time to time, we, here at amerikaland believe deeply within our patriotic coronaries that we are the moral exception: we are the shining theme park atop freedom’s highest peak – perched there as a beacon of hope to all of the people of the world. We also believe that amerikaland has set the highest moral standard and that our most important mission is to insure that all of guests and patrons have a safe and enjoyable experience here in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Rest assured that any collateral damage that occurs as a result of our perfunctory and robot-like business practices is neither our fault nor our responsibility. Since God is obviously on our side, God takes full responsibility for all acts of God, which any and all of our acts patently are. For further information read our three-page legal disclaimer in our free, glossy, 24-page amerikaland handbook and/or follow us on farce book .
Amerikaland: Where Only the Spectacle of the Illusion Really Matters.
Excellent sarcasm. Though I fear some will not understand it is totally sarcasm,and attack the author. His article pretty much “tells it like it is”. Even to the parts about Americans not even understanding the problems they are involved with. If all you did ,was read or watch the MSM. Or talk to people that do. You’d have no idea what is happening in the World. And think like the article says “that Russia needs to hand back Donbas to the Crimeans”.I loved that part. Though if truth be told. People in Donbas, I think, would surely like that idea.
Yes, it perfectly describes the line of ‘thought’ of an average, ‘supremacist’, system ‘educated’ western sheep (i.e. middle class, sanctimonious old goats).
I enjoyed reading this article for all the rich ironies concerning the pompous posturing (as proponents of politically correct mind control) that the NY Times churns out.
As an irony detector, miner, and refiner, Ramin Mazaheri shines much more than as a race analyst, IMHO. That’s an area (race) the purveyors of Empire are masters of, and they welcome any and all joining that particular fray, any time, any where, and fanning the flames, as how that fire burns is always under their control, and dividing the human color spectrum always expands their power.
Irony and ridicule? That shrinks their (NY Times’) power and even threatens their existence. Except as something for pet birds to shit on and effete AZ Empire snobs or gullible wanna be slobs to lap up. A treasonous pseudo-intellectual rag that should be lampooned until it dies a well deserved death.
Great article – thanks Ramin !
Btw – do you like Marine Le Pen for French president ?
Hi Ann,
Many thanks for your compliment!
Do I like Marine Le Pen for president?
No I do not…but I like Francois Fillon or Emmanuel Macron even less! Both of them will insitute terrible economic austerity, affecting everyone.
So, I would vote Le Pen in the 2nd round and hope for the best…and realize that social movements will need to be prepared to struggle mightily against her xenophobic agenda. However, I hope that economically she would be much better, and this is the overall largest issue.
So I view Le Pen as I view Trump – a necessary evil tool to break the current system, which has increased inequality so badly.
I has a very similar reaction two days ago:
DID AMERICA JUST GO DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE?
The ‘Russia scandal’ surrounding the sacking of General Flynn only makes sense in the upside-down bubble of Alice in Wonderland. The U.S. media and their delusional readers believe in a number of fallacies.
1) The United States is at war with Russia.
2) Donald J. Trump is not the legitimate president of USA. He needs to be removed by impeachment or assassination. When he is gone Hillary will be Madam President and everything will be fine.
3) Russia illegally made Trump president.
4) The purpose of Obama’s last sanctions on Russia was to provoke retaliation. Flynn undermined Obama’s foreign policy by advising Russia not to retaliate.
5) Flynn broke the Logan Act and was guilty of treason when he advised Russia not to retaliate.
6) The NSA did the right thing when they illegally spied on Flynn. In fact it was legal and routine. A police state is a good thing!
7) The FBI did the right thing when they started a criminal investigation on Flynn’s “Russia ties”, even though no reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing ever existed.
8) The CIA did the right thing when they leaked the secret transcript of Flynn’s secret communication to the press. The public has the “right to know”. A police state is a good thing!
9) Flynn lied when he did not immediately volunteer the content of his secret communications. Americans should have no privacy, especially government officials and diplomats.
The so-called ‘Deep State’ is the same in all capitalist states, and it’s not hidden at all ‘deep’ either. It is the money power of the rich owners of society, pure and simple.
Trump represents one faction of wealthy elites, and his enemies, represent another, and, I would say, much more powerful faction, basically centred on financial power, which dominates US capitalism more and more as time goes by.
Trump won’t defeat these forces-they’ll overthrow him and replace him with Pence, who is much more their type, or they’ll kill him (unnecessary I would think, but you never know. It need not be a JFK hit either-a ‘medical’ tragedy is easily arranged). In any case Russia, China and Iran really need to enter a formal Mutual Self-Defence Treaty where an attack on one is an attack on all, or they will be picked off, one by one, once the ‘Dominionist’ Pence is in charge.
Trump’s Achilles Heel is that the Jewish elite seem to have decided to be rid of him, despite his total obeisance to Nutty-yahoo. His whiny pleading to Bibi to, please, lay off the totally illegal settlement building, while Kushner threatens the Palestinians into total capitulation, was cringe-inducing. The neo-conservatives ie the Judeofascists and their few pet Sabbat Goyim, are leading the crusade to get Trump, with aid from (among others)the Ukrainian fascist regime, which appears to have decided to make Ukronazia a satellite of Israel, no doubt in honour of Khazarian sentimentality.
CNN shill Don Lemon has an extended break down when a guest on his show calls it “fake news”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcjZMInOXJQ
Cut him off and would not let him speak, and in essence told him if he would not agree with the CNN story not to come on. Not just fake news but outright censorship. CNN is trash and a corporate state (likely CIA too) mouth, and has been for a long time — and we all know it. And they just proved it again. Do they think people don’t see this?
There is the deep state (business as usual) and there is the ZWO, the global bankster mafia that works very consistently, very quietly, very ruthlessly, very successfully through all deep states, be it in the US, China, Russia or Europe.
Only in rare moments of history – such as now – are the money printers under enough external pressure that they are forced to show – for a split second or two – their hands.
Students of history, geo-politics, psychology, criminal syndicates, and the forensic arts: this window of time presents an precious opportunity for quantum jumping to higher understanding. Now, you can learn more in a month or a week than you could during the past 70 years since WWII.
The earth magnetic poles – politically speaking – are moving – and the oceans spill up all kind deep sea dwellers you haven’t known they even existed and that you probably won’t see again in this life time. Let nothing go unnoticed, let it sink in deep, transform, mature!
This is the gift of Trickster Trump to humanity. His role is not to save America – but to reveal the method by which humanity has been enslaved millennia ago, up to this day.
Interesting how long the concept of ‘The Deep State’ took to become wide public knowledge.
The Deep State is that which keeps an Empire class nation on course, even when ‘democratic’ elections (or previously changes in Kings and other non-elected leaders) happen, The Deep State is the long term plan in motion, executed for the benefit of the ***real*** holders of societal power, influence and money.
Here’s a trivial example. In the UK, the school leaving aged was raised from 16 to 18 without the concent of anyone who voted. But the plan to do this actually took more than two decades, moving forward little by little as government after government ended, and the party in power swung from ‘left’ to ‘right’ or ‘right’ to ‘left’. Who really controls where a nation heads? Most big changes are far more than ***five year plans*** which is all a party in current power can hold to.
The Deep State has always used the excuse of the need for very long term planning and execution- concepts that cannot be compromised by the death of a leader or change of government. And this is actually valid. But once the Deep State is active, and the people involved disrespect the pretend puppet visible forms of nation leadership, that is the very really chance of evil setting in.
The Deep State is ***not*** a secret society, or even many- although in each nation the Deep State higher-ups do belong to powerful bodies ignored by the press and largely unheard of by the average sheeple. These bodies are only a very small part of the picture. What you really have is a loose, constantly adjusting, series of mechanisms that allow powerful figures in the Law, Church, Business, Politics and Education to input and help oversee policies that change society over time, but that no sheeple ever really gets a say about.
The Deep State is the collective minds of a very nebulous group of individuals, most of whom never think in terms of the ‘Deep State’. It is very real but an emergent meta system. However, individuals can make themselves aware of the power of the Deep State, and seek to become guiding forces. The demonic Tony Blair is perhaps the ultimate example of such a person.
To understand the Deep State, you need to forget everything you know about ‘secret societies’, and think instead of a ‘brain’ composed of hundreds of thousands of neurons, where each neuron is actually a person allied in some sense with the wishes of the Deep State.
At any moment, the Deep State is ‘thinking’ in a particular way, but we have no direct way to know which way for the Deep State doesn’t have a conventional way of communication- not even thru propaganda. But the people who control the press are ‘neuron’ members of the ‘deep state’ ‘brain’, so their actions are reflective.
The demons who seek to bring World War to our planet are ***not*** the Deep State- they are the puppet masters. But the Deep State is the machine than need to control to do their bidding. And control means influencing the minds of enough Humans who form the neurons of the current deep state. For instance, when Tony Blair reached ultimate power in the UK, he endeveared to identify as many ‘deep state’ neurons as possible in the UK, and make them directly answerable to him. Where he could, Blair appointed Blairites into every control aspect of the UK. He used Common Purpose (google it) to condition lower level people who might one day rise into significant positions of influence.
Tony Blair wanted to transform the Deep State of the UK to be ***his*** Deep State, and succeeded 100%. But he also tried the same thing in the USA, and was almost as successful. After 9/11, remember, it was Blair, not any American, who toured the world and told people that 9/11 meant that we must rip up the rule book. 9/11 was Blair’s false-flag, regardless of any senior Americans who were in the inner planning and execution teams.
The Demons tried to use the Deep State to arrange for Hillary Clintonto win the presidency ***twice*** and failed spectacularly on both occasions. Perfect control of the Deep State, even when you appointed most of the ‘neurons’ is impossible, and the Deep State only has imperfect control of greater society. But the Deep State is second in power only to Greater Humanity, and then only when Greater Humanity pulls together in a direction (say anti-war). But through propaganda (zionist mainstream media etc) the Deep State and the demons get to manipulate and potentially break the will of Greater Humanity.
Peter Dale Scott describes the deep state as a system similar to the world weather system.
It is constantly transforming and responding to external events and pressures, but remains a system. A dynamic system.
See his newest analysis of the deep state and Trump’s place in it (parts 1 and 2) at WhoWhatWhy.org.
Katherine
RM
Now that is some well written sarcasm. Very enjoyable reading.