Op-Ed: What is the Deep State and Why Should I Care?

By Melissa Martin, Ph.D. Last updated Aug 22, 2022 Share with new partner:

PORTSMOUTH, OH – A 2017 ABC News/Washington Post poll showed that nearly half of Americans believe there is a “deep state” operating within the federal government. It was defined in the poll as “military, intelligence and government officials who try to secretly manipulate government policy.”

Is democracy being eroded on purpose by a covert group of Benedict Arnolds? Is there a clandestine clique working on a global totalitarian agenda? Is Team Biden stealing our civil liberties?

A few of former President Donald Trump’s heavy-duty supporters have published books about the Deep State and how the powerful covert cabal tried to shake-down and take-down his leadership. But did this shadow government steal the 2020 election from Trump and the Republicans?

Just What is the Deep State?

The deep state is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as meaning “a body of people, typically influential members of government agencies or the military, believed to be involved in the secret manipulation or control of government policy.”

According to an article in the Dot Daily, the “deep state,” also known as “shadow government,” is often used to describe the bureaucracies of the military and spy agencies and their top secret inner-workings. The roots of the deep state’s creation date back to the end of World War II and the expansion of what President Dwight Eisenhower deemed the “military-industrial complex.”

A 2017 article for New American, states, “Since the presidential election, elements of what is often called the “intelligence community” have dropped the mask. For everyday Americans misinformed by the establishment media and unaware of the out-of-control behavior of so many secretive government bureaucracies, it was shocking to hear lawmakers and bureaucrats talking about how the “intelligence” apparatus would take on President Trump. But the truth has been obvious to discerning Americans for many years: A key component of what has become known as the “Deep State” in recent times is the sprawling network of secrecy-obsessed bureaucracies of the “intelligence community.” And while they are not alone, rogue behavior by these agencies threatens constitutional governance in America.”

On C-SPAN in 2019, three historians presented talks about the concept of the Deep State in American history and political debate. Topics ranged from recent books about an alleged “deep state,” to President Eisenhower and the military industrial complex, to J. Edgar Hoover’s tenure at the FBI.

And of course, the hyper-liberal mainstream media pack (i.e., CNN, The Daily Beast, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, Politico, NPR, New Yorker, Business Insider, The Atlantic, USA Today, Bloomberg, and the Guardian, to name a few) dismisses the Deep State as just another conspiracy theory by loyal Trump followers.

However, believers in the Deep State point way back into history to a secret dynasty of wealthy elites that desire a one-world government: David Rockefeller, Rothchild Family, George Soros, Henry Kissinger, Prince Charles, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Trilateral Commission, Bilderberg Group, Council on Foreign Relations, Bohemian Grove, Skull & Bones, Illuminati.

All freedom-loving citizens must stand up and speak out for an investigation into the alleged deceptive dealings of the FBI, CIA, U.S. Attorney General, and the corrupt Biden administration. Pray for the 14 FBI whistleblowers that just came forward to Republican investigators in Congress. And vote in November.

“Freedom is the very essence of our nation. To be sure, ours is not a perfect nation. But even with our troubles, we remain the beacon of hope for oppressed peoples everywhere. Never give up the fight for freedom – a fight which, though it may never end, is the most ennobling known to man.” –Ronald Reagan