The Deep State Crosses Party Lines

Republicans and Democrats Aren’t That Different

Editor’s note: In just a few weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has spread across the country, killed thousands of people, and devastated the economy. As this crisis drags on, plenty of people are wondering whether America as they know it is permanently changed.

But as our founder, Doug Casey, explains below, America is already fighting a “losing battle”… and lost its way well before this outbreak started.

Read on to learn why Doug thinks the US is acting “clinically insane”… and why you can’t trust either political party to save the country…

Daily Dispatch: Doug, the US is only a few months away from the next election. Can we get your take on all the allegations of interference in US elections? Surviving Fedcoin: How... Doug Casey Best Price: $9.95 Buy New $30.00 (as of 06:55 UTC - Details)

America seems to have spent many years interfering in the elections of other countries, and yet nobody, Republican or Democrat, seems to understand that or want to acknowledge that. What do you make of it all?

Doug Casey: This all started with the Spanish-American War. That was a serious step on the road to the US throwing away its founding principles, and when it started turning into a global empire.

Since then, and at an accelerating rate – now a hyperbolically accelerating rate – we have embarked upon sticking our nose into absolutely everybody’s business. Places where it makes absolutely no difference to the average American, except to raise his taxes and maybe get them into pointless wars, like in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, or Libya. And about 50 other countries where we have combat troops.

This goes back to Teddy Roosevelt who is, I’d say, one of the five worst American presidents from the point of view of destroying personal freedom, financial prosperity, and international peace. Teddy was a warmonger.

That’s not to say that Teddy wouldn’t have been a wonderful drinking companion, great camping buddy, and book club member. I’m sure he was a lot of fun to hang out with. But politically, he was a “progressive” with socialist instincts. A statist.

The US today has hundreds of military bases overseas. Having them is very stupid, now more than ever.

In ancient times, making war on a neighboring state could make sense. If you won the battle, you conquered the country, stole the cattle, stole the gold, stole the artwork, stole the women, and enslaved the men and children. Then imposed onerous taxes on whoever was left.

War could be a very profitable undertaking then. But today, it’s not profitable; it’s a catastrophe for both the winner and the loser.

You can no longer steal things. Wealth today is no longer about cows and gold – it’s about technology and production. You invade, and those things almost magically disappear. War is not only very expensive itself, but then once you break the country in question, you have to rebuild it, which is even more expensive.

What the US is doing today is actually clinically insane.

Daily Dispatch: If it’s so insane, who do you think is driving those things? Is it everyone? Is it the military generals? Is it the neocons? Is it the people in Congress? Is it the Deep State? Who is it? Totally Incorrect Volu... Doug Casey Best Price: $1.48 Buy New $8.85 (as of 02:30 UTC - Details)

Doug Casey: Well, it’s certainly the Deep State, which includes the parties you just mentioned, and others… But we have to define what “Deep State” means.

First, it’s not a conspiracy. This isn’t something where they have regular meetings and stroke white cats. It’s essentially people that have gone to the same schools, hang out at the same clubs, often come from the same social background, and generally have high incomes from state-related sources. Most important, they share the same worldview.

Importantly, they’re not just government types. They’re top dogs in corporations, academia, large churches, the media, and the military. They’re people that have an interest in things running the way they are right now – the status quo – and using the government to their personal advantage.

What’s more, it totally crosses party lines.

Once upon a time, the Republicans said that they believed in free markets, although they never really did. But they were big on warfare.

The Democrats never liked economic freedom, but said that they didn’t want to have wars.

Actually, this is all just PR, as there is little difference between them. Except the rhetoric. Which is typically just confused slogans.

In fact, the main difference between the Democrats and the Republicans today is that the Democrats overtly believe in an active welfare state, and the Republicans believe in a more moderate version of the welfare state. Which makes the Republicans come across as cold-hearted hypocrites.

Otherwise, there’s no difference between the two parties. Neither of them is worth the powder that it would take to blow them both to hell. Washington and Jefferson would foment a revolution if they were alive today.

Daily Dispatch: Isn’t it even scarier than that? Whether these types of people are in DC, Whitehall, or Brussels, really they’re just glorified town planners. If the central governments weren’t the size that they are, then these people would be setting bus or train timetables. But because the government is so big, these people are effectively trying to do the same thing, but on a much larger scale.

It’s remindful of Richard Maybury’s idea of the “cult of the mastermind.” They think that they can manipulate the actions of millions and billions of people by changing interest rates or creating subsidies. If they weren’t doing that, they would be deciding whether a train leaves at 4:24 p.m. or 4:25 p.m. Speculator (High Groun... Hunt, John Best Price: $6.35 Buy New $18.00 (as of 10:10 UTC - Details)

Doug Casey: These people like to style themselves as being the “best and brightest.” But in fact, they’re the poorest and worst type of people. They’re not interested in controlling physical reality. They’re interested in controlling other people.

The analogy I’d use is that the cream doesn’t rise to the top – the slime rises to the top. An example? The people that Donald Trump has surrounded himself with. He’s shown exceptionally bad judgment in the people that he’s hired. The most recent and outstanding example is the neocon John Bolton. Horrible human being with both bad ethics and bad judgment.

But that’s true of just about all the people that Trump has surrounded himself with – which is to be expected because he himself has absolutely no ethical or philosophical core. He hates the Deep State not so much because it’s corrupt, but because it hates him.

The good thing about The Donald is that he’s a cultural conservative, who sees the old American values being washed away. So do his supporters. But, regrettably, it’s a losing battle. The US has already turned into a multicultural domestic empire, and I don’t think it can be reversed any more than could the collapse of Rome by the late 4th century.

Daily Dispatch: Indeed. Thanks for your time today, Doug.

Doug Casey: You’re welcome.

Reprinted with permission from Casey Research.

Drug Lord (High Ground... Doug Casey, John Hunt Best Price: $16.00 Buy New $18.08 (as of 05:55 UTC - Details)