This production is brought to us by Bill Moyers and company. It’s worth the investment of your time. The accompanying essay, Anatomy of the Deep State, by Mike Lofgren, is even moreso. In a nutshell, it merely puts forth what many already believe, that there is another power behind the scenes of our government. One that wields its influence regardless of party or who holds which office.
“… the Deep State, which operates according to its own compass heading regardless of who is formally in power.” – Mike Lofgren
Mike Lofgren charged that both major American political parties are “rotten captives to corporate loot”, but that while Democrats are merely weak and out of touch, the Republican Party is “becoming more like an apocalyptic cult”. – In his essay, Goodbye to All That: Reflections of a GOP Operative Who Left the Cult.
“Washington is the most important node of the Deep State that has taken over America, but it is not the only one. Invisible threads of money and ambition connect the town to other nodes. One is Wall Street, which supplies the cash that keeps the political machine quiescent and operating as a diversionary marionette theater. Should the politicians forget their lines and threaten the status quo, Wall Street floods the town with cash and lawyers to help the hired hands remember their own best interests. The executives of the financial giants even have de facto criminal immunity.” – Mike Lofgren
This would be regulatory capture. This would be the revolving door. This would be contracts, legal applications, and policies the people are not allowed to know anything about, until after it affects them (and sometimes not even then). This would be the erosion destruction of many civil liberties. This would be cronyism. This would be ‘legal bribery’ (by way of Citizens United). Sadly, as bad as it is, we can only assume good, old-fashioned ‘regular bribery’ (and worse) occurs too.
“Seventy percent of the intelligence community’s budget goes to paying contracts.”
– Mike Lofgren
This is widespread corruption, but don’t worry, it’s all legal. Now, don’t you feel better?
