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vlyons

(10,252 posts)
Fri Nov 22, 2019, 01:06 PM Nov 2019

What is the "deep state?"

The deep state is our government with all its laws and regulations about what is allowed by individuals and corporations. But if you are an Ayn Rand capitalist, or a corporate monopolist, or a selfish libertarian, or a greedy no taxes-no safety net-no unions, or a white supremacist intent on suppressing the vote, or a Dominionist fundamentalist, or a Catholic opus dei member, then maybe you think laws and regulations and equal justice and opportunity under the law shouldn't apply to you.

Maybe you think that your religious beliefs should be taught in public schools, or you should be free to dump your coal ash and industrial waste into whatever stream, river, lake, or ocean is most convenient.

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Thomas Hurt

(13,903 posts)
2. Deep State is a rebranded conspiracy theory of the far right...
Fri Nov 22, 2019, 01:15 PM
Nov 2019

it has also been called ZOG or the illuminati or the whatever the cause de fascisti is for the era.

DBoon

(22,286 posts)
8. Any government employee who tries to stop Trump from establishing a total dictatorship
Fri Nov 22, 2019, 01:48 PM
Nov 2019

Checks and balances, division of government into 3 branches, and independent judiciary are all obstacles to a dictator

That is why right wing authoritarians throughout the world destroy these institutions

TheRealNorth

(9,435 posts)
9. Their goal is to obliterate the civil service
Fri Nov 22, 2019, 01:59 PM
Nov 2019

Government jobs can then be sold and/or given to sycophants and unqualified relatives.

And they can thoroughly corrupt every governmental institution with little worry about what they are doing getting out to the public.

Garrett78

(10,721 posts)
10. In addition to your comments and those of others, it's meant to undermine trust in government.
Fri Nov 22, 2019, 02:03 PM
Nov 2019

Modus operandi for the last 50 years.

Ms. Toad

(33,915 posts)
11. It's a right wing conspiracy -
Fri Nov 22, 2019, 02:20 PM
Nov 2019

There are career government officials, who have worked for decades for both Democratic and Republican administrations.

"Deep State" is a way of rebranding their integrity and commitment to the constitution and to the United States as doing the bidding of the other party - here, specifically, Obama. The idea is that he never really left office and is runing some shadow government with the cooperation of these individuals - because it is a convenient way of framing deep commitment and integrity as merely political.

Caliman73

(11,694 posts)
12. Different things to different groups.
Fri Nov 22, 2019, 02:31 PM
Nov 2019

Deep state is a term that has had proponents on the left and on the right. In their parlance, it is simply the levels of government that work to thwart the goals of those groups.

While not specifically calling it "the Deep State", people during the anti-war (Vietnam) and Civil Rights movements were often the targets of the FBI. There is the belief that The Black Panthers were infiltrated and destroyed internally by the government, that incriminating files were kept by Hoover on many politicians and activists. We know that Black Americans were experimented on, as well as Puerto Rican women, but the government. We also know that there was a warrant-less wiretapping program after 911 and large data farms picking up our electronic communications. We heard reports that local, state, and federal law enforcement were infiltrating "subversive" groups who opposed the war in Iraq or the GWOT. The idea of the "Deep State" has many origins and levels from the factual to the insane on the left side of the political spectrum.

On the right, the Deep State has an entirely different meaning. Conservatives are uniquely odd in their conspiracies. They have merged a bunch of different, longstanding conspiracies and added the "Deep State" as a new wrinkle. They see the deep state as a bureaucratic entity that is working to further the aims of a "global elite" (see Jewish) that is decadent and depraved. The reality is that this "Deep State" is only seen as a threat when it is thwarting the noble aims of one Donald John Trump, the only true defender of "American Values" As with most right wing conspiracies, there isn't really even a hint of truth to their ideas. It is all born from them not getting what they want, a white, christian country with a permanent underclass of brown people to serve their needs.

marble falls

(56,358 posts)
17. Deep state are the people who provide tranision between administrations, who actually know what ...
Fri Nov 22, 2019, 04:07 PM
Nov 2019

what their jobs and duties are, who actually make our government work. Who can cooperate with other government entities, who do the work for the public honestly and effectively fir everyone without allowing their own political affiliation affecting their actions.

Thank G*d for all of them

RichardRay

(2,611 posts)
18. Socio-political hysteresis
Fri Nov 22, 2019, 04:17 PM
Nov 2019

It’s a good thing, if you’re not trying to accomplish changes quickly.

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