The “Deep State” Explained

Johnny Harris・2 minutes read

Voting for Trump is linked to sealing the border, restoring law and order, and defeating the deep state. The story of American democracy reigning in the worst impulses of those in power, leading to oversight of intelligence agencies and avoiding disaster.

Insights

  • The concept of the deep state, clouded by political manipulation, poses a challenge to genuine understanding, complicating discussions around issues like border security and law enforcement.
  • The history of intelligence agencies like the CIA reveals a complex web of clandestine operations, from mind control experiments to assassination plots, underscoring the delicate balance between national security and civil liberties, ultimately resulting in increased surveillance post-9/11 and the erosion of democratic oversight.

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Recent questions

  • What is the deep state?

    A shadowy group wielding secret influence.

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Summary

00:00

"Trump voters, deep state, Cuban Crisis"

  • Voting for Trump is linked to sealing the border, restoring law and order, and defeating the deep state.
  • The concept of the deep state is clouded by political manipulation, making it challenging to approach earnestly.
  • The Cuban Missile Crisis exemplifies the intense power struggle between the US and the Soviet Union.
  • The US discovers Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba, sparking a crisis with potential nuclear war.
  • President Kennedy faces a critical decision during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
  • Kennedy seeks advice from influential figures in Georgetown, away from the Capitol, where real power resides.
  • Georgetown houses unelected powerful individuals who wield secret influence, forming a shadowy deep state.
  • The birth of modern intelligence through the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during wartime.
  • Wild Bill Donovan leads the OSS, employing extreme tactics like psychological warfare and covert operations.
  • The OSS dissolves post-WWII, but the idea of a centralized intelligence agency resurfaces during the Cold War, sparking debate over excessive power and secrecy.

12:56

CIA's Cold War Secrets and Scandals

  • Truman's mind changed due to the growing confrontation with the Soviet Union, leading to the formation of the CIA.
  • The CIA's mission in the Cold War was to gain and distribute intelligence affecting national security.
  • The CIA's involvement in various operations like Operation Paperclip, Italian elections, and coups in Iran, Guatemala, Congo, and Chile.
  • The CIA's mind control experiments under MKUltra, including feeding LSD to individuals without consent.
  • The CIA's surveillance operations like Operation Shamrock and involvement in the Bay of Pigs nightmare.
  • The CIA's assassination plots, including Operation Phoenix, and the admission of killing 20,000 people by Bill Colby.
  • The CIA's involvement in COINTELPRO, Operation Chaos, Watergate, and the spying on anti-war movements.
  • The exposure of the CIA and FBI's attempts to infiltrate the free press and the revelation of Operation Mockingbird.
  • The Church committee's findings of illegal and unethical CIA activities, lack of accountability, and the subsequent oversight regulations.
  • The story of American democracy reigning in the worst impulses of those in power, leading to oversight of intelligence agencies and avoiding disaster.

26:03

"Secret Programs Post-9/11: Democracy Eroded"

  • A plane crash into the World Trade Center prompts a call for increased power for intelligence agencies through the Patriot Act, leading to expanded surveillance and secret programs post-9/11.
  • Taxpayer funds are funneled into creating millions of new top-secret jobs and numerous secret programs, with limited oversight and accountability, culminating in the Edward Snowden leaks.
  • The trade-off between freedom and security is highlighted, as the government's expansion of secret powers challenges traditional checks and balances, leading to a loss of control over classified information and the erosion of democracy and accountability.
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