Deep States and the American Coup

[selfAdjoint]

3 Quarks Daily has http://3quarksdaily.blogs.com/3quarksdaily/2006/07/below_the_fold.html" (via Cosma Shalizi) on what the Turks mean by a "deep state" within their country, and how the concept applies to other countries, especially the US. Generally I personally agree with it, but in the case of the US I believe there's a bit more to say.

The US is a Federal Republic; it really truly is, if you don't believe it just ask Al Gore! And it follows that the deep government is not just ensconced in Washington DC, but is deep, deep in the individual states. Nod-and-wink methods have been deployed in elections for the past decade to deny the franchise to poor people, people of color, people of the wrong backgrounds or non suburban lifestyles. The result has been that although Governorships sometimes go to Democrats, Legislatures remain in the hands of socially right wing Republicans.

Look at Ohio in 2004 and Florida in 200; not just at the high profile stuff - chads and crummy voting machines, but at the quiet, slow, deliberate erosion of voting rights at the voting places themselves. Long lines brought about by stalling tactics. Attempts to disfranchise people who move frequently but don't always update their voting records (be sure that if some suburbanite had the problem it would be taken care of promptly with no fuss, but with a poor person the GOP poll watchers know how to drag things out.

You want any more examples, how about the redefinition of Texas districts? Or the Wisconsin legislature putting gay marriage and abortion initiatives on the ballot for this fall to energize a right wing constituency that has very little use for the GOP in Washington. The point I'm making is not just that the GOP is playing politics in the states, but that it has been quietly, deeply organizing for years to put warm bodies just where they're needed to swing an election or block a popular movement.

This is the main reason the dems seem always to be caught off guard. They're like the IDF attacking the long-prepared bunkers of the Hizballah.

 

[edward]

From the link:

With September 11, the American deep state took over, and the coup galloped rather than creeped. Bacevich writes about the post-September 11 Congressional resolution

9/11 took the deep state by surprise. Even the internal powers were shocked that a foreign entity could do such a thing to the USA. Their own self pecieved sense of superiority had been cracked open by 9/11.

As I look at the series of events that have happened in recent years. I see that 9/11 was the point where the deep state, most likely unknowingly or unwillingly, revealed itself. Now they are busy trying to re-bury their action under the veil of fear which they perpetuate.

There has always been an under the radar "priveledged few" who have influenced the actions of most administrations, both Democrat and Republican. It operates at both the state and federal level.

The current one is the deepest ever, surfacing only occasionaly to be seen by the most observant, then plunging back down into the depths of total secrecy.

 

[russ_watters]

Continuing to look to subterfuge instead of internal flaws in the Democratic party as the reason the Republicans dominate will ensure that the Democratic party remains marginalized.

In any case, that article makes some pretty heavy claims - ones I haven't seen before, and I'm not inclined to take the author's word for it without substantiation, which the author does not provide (not surprising - it is just a blog, afterall).

Clever new wrapper for the venerable old N.W.O. conspiracy theory, though.