After covid, I frankly don't value anyone screeching about 'democracy' or 'fascism'. I saw their actions then and no amount of words can cover up their actions.
While you’re writing about the US, sitting here in the U.K. reading your description of the Progressive Deep State is like reading a description of our own deep malaise. And unfortunately we have our version of the Democrats in power with a huge majority for another 4 years and no sign of a Musk equivalent on the horizon, although the natives are getting restive and defecting in increasing numbers to an upstart party whose name, Reform, tells you that its agenda is along Trump lines.
Good luck Trump & Musk! We are watching with interest and envy and hopefully will take the inspiration and courage to follow course when the time comes.
It's similar in Germany and they are really trying hard to beat the UK to the "North Korea of Europe" title. The elections this Sunday will be interesting but the likely result will be that the pseudo-conservatives from a coalition government with 2 lefty parties.
Indeed. I follow the Eugyppius Substack so am very familiar with what’s going on in Germany. Compared with that, the U.K. is still very much in the early stages of the descent into quasi fascist lunacy, although it doesn’t always seem like it.
Looking forward to DOGE Canada one day soon. I am old school leftist and I cannot wait to see the bureaucracy up north fully audited and whittled down.
Fun fact: in 2023 federal civil servants spend over $700,000 on ballet and movie tickets, and other forms of entertainment. Yes, not a huge amount of money, but why are taxpayers are paying for bureaucrats to see a movie.
“Progressives eschew discrete branches checking each other while exercising their separate powers, as well as a system of laws made and executed, respectively, by political branches accountable to the people affected. They prefer governance by bureaucracies of theoretically non-partisan experts who should be insulated from political accountability and be allowed to operate like tenured college professors because they’re altruistically devoted to [insert utopian pursuit]”
Agree Elon is the right point man. Just not sure what additional levers the Dems and the bureaucracy will try to pull. They certainly not just fold and go quietly into the night. Edicts never work when they are misaligned with incentives unless they are enforced by the barrel of a gun.
Along with Elon and his DOGE team working to clean up our fiscal mess, it’s really important to examine what’s been going on and how we got to this point. This article is a great contribution to that effort. I hope to read many more articles digging into every aspect of the progressive takeover of our country.
I think the shrill reactions are to be expected but it's always funny watching them try and defend the indefensible, especially without a monopoly over the microphone. For some people the state is their god, it's no surprise that they act like someone desecrated their cathedral or attacked their priesthood. The state can do no wrong, the state always knows what's true and what's false, the state is there to protect and nourish the faithful, the state needs the faithful to protect it, those who don't believe in the state are wicked.
Just keep on mocking them. Pointing out the hypocrisy doesn't work. And don't let them use your values against you. It's unfortunate all this has to be done through the executive, but better it gets done than to keep on losing to those without scruples.
Overall, enjoyed and appreciated the article. Including the clip of Obama/Biden explaining the necessity for review and accountability was appropriate (Obama has always been a good speaker).
I find no fault in your arguments for reviewing and improving federal bureaucracy, including cutting areas of waste and fraud where found. And yet - I cannot agree with your assessment that Congress has on a whole been seizing rightful powers of the Executive. Rather, I would posit that on the contrary, Congress has ceded much of its power to the Executive over the last 30 years due to willful inaction in performing their budgetary and law-making duties. And almost all presidents after Hoover have claimed/seized more power within the executive branch. Witness both Biden and Trump recently unilaterally proclaiming Constitutional changes (ERA is now law, birthright citizenship is now not law). And Trump admin claiming the power to modify and/or curtail spending authorized by Congress. You provided some examples where Congress has superseded Executive authority, but holistically, I think its been more the reverse.
"marginalized" has joined the words-that-became-meaningless scrap heap, along with former stalwarts, like "racist" and "fascist". Fortunately, we have new words like "whiteness" and "genderqueer" to take their place ...
Wouldn't surprise me one bit if DNC emails included exchanges like this:
Operative 1 - "Need to slow this down. Trump's working-class supporters value law and order. This could be his weak spot."
Operative 2 - "100! We can turn this around if we can show he's breaking the law."
Operative 3 - "But we tried lawfare and look where it got us: four more years of Trump."
Operative 2 - "That's because right-wing media suppressed it. We'll have our media contacts and elected representatives blitz every platform with a message that shows them Trump isn't who he claimed to be. That's he gone rogue."
Operative 3 -- "But I think that's why they voted for him."
Operative 2 -- "They will respond to 'constitutional crisis.' I've already informally tested it among campaign staff and congressional aides. They love it."
I have been concerned with executive overreach since I could vote, but ynt8l DOGE, I didn't realize that so much of the Executive Branch is not under the Executive's authority. Great read.
Oh man, has the historical, present and future path been cleared for me as to what the F*** has happened over the last decade that is defined as social and political chaos. How did the Democrats get infected with this ideological excess that has turned to madness? What the hell happened to our mainstream press to leave our government officials unaccountable and our politicians seemingly complicit or in the dark?
We understand it now thanks to Trump and Musk and reporting in the independent news media from Brad and others.
The dark money deep state enterprise has gone out of control funneling money through federal agencies and programs with missions not intended for that type of thing... to foment instability in other countries to influence their elections in a way that the deep state believes benefits US interests. And beginning in the Great Community Organizer era, Obama broke the long-standing firewall that restricted the same tactics be used in our own country.
And the F***ing American mainstream media was brought in on that immoral, unethical and illegal behavior by our government officials. The deep state leveraged the radical left as their source material to sew social instability. The left radicals have been useful tools and fools. The core Democrat party has been turned to unattractive landfill with candidates holding out their hands for some of that dark money, and others that are part of the ideological madness. The Democrat-led uniparty is caught with their pants down from the weight of so much looting of our tax revenue.
This needs to be looked at from several perspectives. One is the obscene graft, grift, fraud and abuse. The other is the unconstitutionality of our own government spending being used to influence elections for one party over another. But the last consideration is maybe even the most problematic (because the first is getting fixed and the second did not even work well enough as the American people have seen right through it and voted correctly). The last consideration is the harm to our American foreign policy. Think about the national security head being grilled after all this disclosure to explain spending that went through USAID or another agency... and having to explain our spycraft attempts. Because these f***s in government went out of control, we are now stuck in this position where previous foreign policy overreach and malice is going to harm our foreign policy apparatus and agenda.
Even today members of the Trump admin are talking about a more massive pull-back from the Global Order. Given what our government officials have done it seems justified. But then what mistakes will be made in a world where communism is again on the rise?
Myself, I am so pissed off about all of this, I want to just see us cancel USAID, gut the staffing and budgets of Justice, Homeland Security, the FBI, CIA... and end USAID and other agency programs that have funneled money to NGOs and other countries in any way shape or form of having used that spending to influence any elections. But then what if China and other international foes are spending to influence elections in these other countries?
Here is one clear legislative action I would like to see.
Absolutely zero dollars of government money should ever go to any organization that defines itself as being part of the news media or that has any control of any entity that is part of the news media.
Likewise, absolutely zero dollars of government money should ever go to any entity that is involved in any political campaign activity. Related to that, I would like to see legislation that prohibits all non-profit corporations, except those registered as PACs. (527 entities), from any political-related activity within six months of our federal elections.
For-profit entities are taxed and thus should have a voice in politics. But non profits should be approved only for their mission, and unless their mission is specifically political advocacy, they should be restricted from influencing elections.
After covid, I frankly don't value anyone screeching about 'democracy' or 'fascism'. I saw their actions then and no amount of words can cover up their actions.
I heard a great comment describing the Democrat party
Ideological excess turned to madness
While you’re writing about the US, sitting here in the U.K. reading your description of the Progressive Deep State is like reading a description of our own deep malaise. And unfortunately we have our version of the Democrats in power with a huge majority for another 4 years and no sign of a Musk equivalent on the horizon, although the natives are getting restive and defecting in increasing numbers to an upstart party whose name, Reform, tells you that its agenda is along Trump lines.
Good luck Trump & Musk! We are watching with interest and envy and hopefully will take the inspiration and courage to follow course when the time comes.
It's similar in Germany and they are really trying hard to beat the UK to the "North Korea of Europe" title. The elections this Sunday will be interesting but the likely result will be that the pseudo-conservatives from a coalition government with 2 lefty parties.
Indeed. I follow the Eugyppius Substack so am very familiar with what’s going on in Germany. Compared with that, the U.K. is still very much in the early stages of the descent into quasi fascist lunacy, although it doesn’t always seem like it.
Wow. Great summary and exposé of the work Musk and team are undertaking. How any reasonable person can oppose this is beyond my understanding.
Don't try to understand 'em, just get out there and brand 'em!
You don't have to try to understand them--they aren't reasonable people.
The "deep state" permanent bureaucracy pales in comparison to the NGO shadow state.
Looking forward to DOGE Canada one day soon. I am old school leftist and I cannot wait to see the bureaucracy up north fully audited and whittled down.
Fun fact: in 2023 federal civil servants spend over $700,000 on ballet and movie tickets, and other forms of entertainment. Yes, not a huge amount of money, but why are taxpayers are paying for bureaucrats to see a movie.
“Progressives eschew discrete branches checking each other while exercising their separate powers, as well as a system of laws made and executed, respectively, by political branches accountable to the people affected. They prefer governance by bureaucracies of theoretically non-partisan experts who should be insulated from political accountability and be allowed to operate like tenured college professors because they’re altruistically devoted to [insert utopian pursuit]”
Plus dry clerical mindset.
You have nailed these people to the door.
Agree Elon is the right point man. Just not sure what additional levers the Dems and the bureaucracy will try to pull. They certainly not just fold and go quietly into the night. Edicts never work when they are misaligned with incentives unless they are enforced by the barrel of a gun.
True, maggots become flies eventually. Bullets didn’t work, what’s their Plan C?
They're screaming so loudly now because they desperately fear the public becoming aware of how their NGO power base is funded. (I.e. from our taxes.)
Along with Elon and his DOGE team working to clean up our fiscal mess, it’s really important to examine what’s been going on and how we got to this point. This article is a great contribution to that effort. I hope to read many more articles digging into every aspect of the progressive takeover of our country.
And Note 1 is brilliant!
I think the shrill reactions are to be expected but it's always funny watching them try and defend the indefensible, especially without a monopoly over the microphone. For some people the state is their god, it's no surprise that they act like someone desecrated their cathedral or attacked their priesthood. The state can do no wrong, the state always knows what's true and what's false, the state is there to protect and nourish the faithful, the state needs the faithful to protect it, those who don't believe in the state are wicked.
Just keep on mocking them. Pointing out the hypocrisy doesn't work. And don't let them use your values against you. It's unfortunate all this has to be done through the executive, but better it gets done than to keep on losing to those without scruples.
Overall, enjoyed and appreciated the article. Including the clip of Obama/Biden explaining the necessity for review and accountability was appropriate (Obama has always been a good speaker).
I find no fault in your arguments for reviewing and improving federal bureaucracy, including cutting areas of waste and fraud where found. And yet - I cannot agree with your assessment that Congress has on a whole been seizing rightful powers of the Executive. Rather, I would posit that on the contrary, Congress has ceded much of its power to the Executive over the last 30 years due to willful inaction in performing their budgetary and law-making duties. And almost all presidents after Hoover have claimed/seized more power within the executive branch. Witness both Biden and Trump recently unilaterally proclaiming Constitutional changes (ERA is now law, birthright citizenship is now not law). And Trump admin claiming the power to modify and/or curtail spending authorized by Congress. You provided some examples where Congress has superseded Executive authority, but holistically, I think its been more the reverse.
Fair enough.
Oh, stop, I can only get so happy from reading about politics.
Obligatory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pusZXECS0mM
"marginalized" has joined the words-that-became-meaningless scrap heap, along with former stalwarts, like "racist" and "fascist". Fortunately, we have new words like "whiteness" and "genderqueer" to take their place ...
Wouldn't surprise me one bit if DNC emails included exchanges like this:
Operative 1 - "Need to slow this down. Trump's working-class supporters value law and order. This could be his weak spot."
Operative 2 - "100! We can turn this around if we can show he's breaking the law."
Operative 3 - "But we tried lawfare and look where it got us: four more years of Trump."
Operative 2 - "That's because right-wing media suppressed it. We'll have our media contacts and elected representatives blitz every platform with a message that shows them Trump isn't who he claimed to be. That's he gone rogue."
Operative 3 -- "But I think that's why they voted for him."
Operative 2 -- "They will respond to 'constitutional crisis.' I've already informally tested it among campaign staff and congressional aides. They love it."
I have been concerned with executive overreach since I could vote, but ynt8l DOGE, I didn't realize that so much of the Executive Branch is not under the Executive's authority. Great read.
Oh man, has the historical, present and future path been cleared for me as to what the F*** has happened over the last decade that is defined as social and political chaos. How did the Democrats get infected with this ideological excess that has turned to madness? What the hell happened to our mainstream press to leave our government officials unaccountable and our politicians seemingly complicit or in the dark?
We understand it now thanks to Trump and Musk and reporting in the independent news media from Brad and others.
The dark money deep state enterprise has gone out of control funneling money through federal agencies and programs with missions not intended for that type of thing... to foment instability in other countries to influence their elections in a way that the deep state believes benefits US interests. And beginning in the Great Community Organizer era, Obama broke the long-standing firewall that restricted the same tactics be used in our own country.
And the F***ing American mainstream media was brought in on that immoral, unethical and illegal behavior by our government officials. The deep state leveraged the radical left as their source material to sew social instability. The left radicals have been useful tools and fools. The core Democrat party has been turned to unattractive landfill with candidates holding out their hands for some of that dark money, and others that are part of the ideological madness. The Democrat-led uniparty is caught with their pants down from the weight of so much looting of our tax revenue.
This needs to be looked at from several perspectives. One is the obscene graft, grift, fraud and abuse. The other is the unconstitutionality of our own government spending being used to influence elections for one party over another. But the last consideration is maybe even the most problematic (because the first is getting fixed and the second did not even work well enough as the American people have seen right through it and voted correctly). The last consideration is the harm to our American foreign policy. Think about the national security head being grilled after all this disclosure to explain spending that went through USAID or another agency... and having to explain our spycraft attempts. Because these f***s in government went out of control, we are now stuck in this position where previous foreign policy overreach and malice is going to harm our foreign policy apparatus and agenda.
Even today members of the Trump admin are talking about a more massive pull-back from the Global Order. Given what our government officials have done it seems justified. But then what mistakes will be made in a world where communism is again on the rise?
Myself, I am so pissed off about all of this, I want to just see us cancel USAID, gut the staffing and budgets of Justice, Homeland Security, the FBI, CIA... and end USAID and other agency programs that have funneled money to NGOs and other countries in any way shape or form of having used that spending to influence any elections. But then what if China and other international foes are spending to influence elections in these other countries?
Here is one clear legislative action I would like to see.
Absolutely zero dollars of government money should ever go to any organization that defines itself as being part of the news media or that has any control of any entity that is part of the news media.
Likewise, absolutely zero dollars of government money should ever go to any entity that is involved in any political campaign activity. Related to that, I would like to see legislation that prohibits all non-profit corporations, except those registered as PACs. (527 entities), from any political-related activity within six months of our federal elections.
For-profit entities are taxed and thus should have a voice in politics. But non profits should be approved only for their mission, and unless their mission is specifically political advocacy, they should be restricted from influencing elections.