US Politics

[Tom Palven]

As if the Republicans kowtowing to the Deep State weren't enough, we have this report on CIA infiltration (Can I call it infiltration? Is it infiltration?) of the Democrat Party:
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018.../pers-m13.html

[Tom Palven]

According to this the head of the Libertarian Party is a CIA asset:
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/lib...igence-assets/

It was pretty awful when the LP nominated conservative Congressman Bob Barr as its Presidential candidate, but this takes the cake.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by Tom Palven

According to this the head of the Libertarian Party is a CIA asset:
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/lib...igence-assets/

It was pretty awful when the LP nominated conservative Congressman Bob Barr as its Presidential candidate, but this takes the cake.

The American Libertarian party has been a joke (and an insult to libertarians) for literally decades now. I can't imagine anyone would care about this news - and given the source, the news is highly questionable. Let me guess - maybe the American Libertarian party hasn't been cheering loud enough for Trump. That usually signals an impeding rightwing PR attack - and oddly enough, radical lefties seem to echo all these rightwing attacks.

In many ways, the US Libertarian party has done more to destroy libertarianism as a political philosophy than anyone or anything else. True libertarians HATE the US Libertarian party and everything it stands for. So why would this be considered 'news' to anyone? Wikileaks and US Libertarian party? Sounds like a marriage made in heaven to me. Neither one has any integrity of any kind.

[Tom Palven]

Originally Posted by Michael

The American Libertarian party has been a joke (and an insult to libertarians) for literally decades now. I can't imagine anyone would care about this news - and given the source, the news is highly questionable. Let me guess - maybe the American Libertarian party hasn't been cheering loud enough for Trump. That usually signals an impeding rightwing PR attack - and oddly enough, radical lefties seem to echo all these rightwing attacks.

In many ways, the US Libertarian party has done more to destroy libertarianism as a political philosophy than anyone or anything else. True libertarians HATE the US Libertarian party and everything it stands for. So why would this be considered 'news' to anyone? Wikileaks and US Libertarian party? Sounds like a marriage made in heaven to me. Neither one has any integrity of any kind.

What's your opinion of Trump selecting bat-shit crazy Deep State neoconservative war hawk John Bolton as national security advisor?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Bolton

I'm wondering if there's anything at all that we agree on.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by Tom Palven

What's your opinion of Trump selecting bat-shit crazy Deep State neoconservative war hawk John Bolton as national security advisor?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Bolton

I'm wondering if there's anything at all that we agree on.

John Bolton is by far, the worst cabinet-level appointment Trump as made. He is absolutely the worst possible candidate to appoint as head of the NSA. John Bolton is a warmonger in the worst way. John Bolton's appointment makes the world less safe and war more likely.

[Tom Palven]

Originally Posted by Michael

John Bolton is by far, the worst cabinet-level appointment Trump as made. He is absolutely the worst possible candidate to appoint as head of the NSA. John Bolton is a warmonger in the worst way. John Bolton's appointment makes the world less safe and war more likely.

Yes, John Bolton is truly evil, but here is an article on neoconservative warmonger John Brennan who was an Obama supporter, that provides evidence that the deep state consists not only of Republicans, but also of bipartisan or nonpartisan unelected apparatchiki:
https://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/lets-in...-john-brennan/

[Michael]

Originally Posted by Tom Palven

Yes, John Bolton is truly evil, but here is an article on neoconservative warmonger John Brennan who was an Obama supporter, that provides evidence that the deep state consists not only of Republicans, but also of bipartisan or nonpartisan unelected apparatchiki:
https://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/lets-in...-john-brennan/

The so-called 'deep state' can consists ONLY of unelected apparatchiks, that is to say, career bureaucrats. Political appointees are not 'deep state' by definition.

And there is no actual evidence that any so-called 'deep state' exists. It is little more than a fetish and/or a current fad. At the moment, it is rightwing nutjobs pushing the 'deep state' fetish. Usually it is the far left nutjobs. Same game pushed for the exact same reasons.

It is helpful to remember that the top-ranked 7,000 to 8,000 positions in the US government are all political appointees (that is to say, partisan hacks with short term appointments at the highest levels dominates US government administration - this is a recipe for systemic dysfunction).

[Tom Palven]

Originally Posted by Michael

The so-called 'deep state' can consists ONLY of unelected apparatchiks, that is to say, career bureaucrats. Political appointees are not 'deep state' by definition.

I pretty much agree, but some like unelected John Bolton have long been deep state and are now political appointees.

Despite what Trump said he wants, the US will remain in Syria.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-m...-idUSKCN1HC2DP

Surprise, surprise. "Commander-in-Chief" has become a joke.

Now let's see if the deep state allows Trump to talk to Kim Jong-un.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by Tom Palven

I pretty much agree, but some like unelected John Bolton have long been deep state and are now political appointees.

John Bolton is absolutely hated by the career bureaucracy of US foreign policy interests and that means that Bolton is definitely NOT 'deep-state'. And since he's pro-Trump, he's not 'deep-state' by the rightwing definition either.

Bolton is just a one man warmonger machine. That's all he is and all he has ever been.

[Tom Palven]

Here's some speculation just for grins:

Trump had Michael Pompeo go to North Korea to talk about peace, and John Bolton has apparently been assigned to talk to his South Korean counterpart about peace.
https://news.antiwar.com/2018/04/18/...ns-on-ending-6...

So, Trump has taken two of our biggest war-mongers and sent them on peace missions.

What's next?

Will Nikki Haley be sent to Russia to talk to Putin about détente, and John "Bomb Bomb" McCain be dispatched to Iran?

Is Trump craftier than we give him credit for?