Nary a day can pass when the “Deep State” is not broadcast across our televisions, news feeds, and social media pages. The colloquial name for this mysterious band of Jason Bournes (and Bournesses) that have spent the last couple of years organizing in secret to undermine the President’s agenda as well as the man himself. How exciting!
The idea that a select group of individuals has conspired in secret to de-throne and discredit the current administration would be laughable if it wasn’t so widely accepted by so many people. You’ve heard me say that I often “go to the well” to see what these people are drinking. By that I mean that I tune in to Fox News (it’s time we have a serious discussion about dropping the “news” as it implies truth and integrity; suggestions on name replacements welcome in the comment section), AM Radio Trump-chumps, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and the occasional sip from Info Wars. These national brands are influencing people so I like to see what they’re dealing.
As it turns out, I can only listen for very short periods of time; minutes maybe. My 30+ years of human interaction on this planet (and others) has made me keenly aware when I’m being bullshitted or—more accurately—lied to. The aforementioned names and programs are founded in lying outright to the audience. Lies of omission and lies of commission are the foundation of these shows and are held together by distraction.
In “Spy the Lie,” a collaborative effort of authors and former CIA officers including Michael Floyd, Susan Carnicero, and Philip Houston tell us that when someone does not answer a question—or, in our case, speak directly to a subject—there is a reason; and that reason is most likely that the facts are not on their side. Instead, people will often speak to emotion because we inherently know that changing the way someone (e.g., the interviewer, the listener) feels will sway whether or not they believe what is being told to them.
Pause.
Think about that and honestly apply it to Limbaugh, Hannity, and Fox. Better yet, go to the well today and shut off your bias and listen to HOW they are saying things. Read their chyrons. It is all very dramatic language. Fox and Friends is famous for stating a fact and then following immediately with “but is it really? We bring in our contributor to discuss.” The idea here is to play on emotion and sow doubt. Why? Because the facts are not on their side.
This brings us to our main topic and scapegoat of the moment: the DEEP STATE! Sounds terrifying and I don’t even buy it. The problem, aside from all of the logistical challenges of setting up such a society, is that THE FACTS ARE NOT ON THEIR SIDE. The “deep state” is used as a catch-all for the unexplainable. Always circumstantial; a strange departure for the “law and order” party. (Editorial note: do not even begin to think that Fox, Hannity Limbaugh, and Jones are anything but republican propagandists. Not being able to agree on this fact—yes, fact—would put us at eternal odds, the likes of which probably cannot be overcome.)
When doing some brief research on the “deep state” I went to the old familiar well and was not disappointed. Yesterday we saw millions of people in every age and demographic at the “March for our Lives” rallies that were held nationwide. One of the key figures to come from this movement is Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior David Hogg. The outspoken student was paralleled yesterday in an InfoWars (read: Alex Jones) piece to a young Adolph Hitler. The author (who will remain unnamed in this post) draws comparisons not only to Hogg and Hitler’s views about gun control but stoops to draw physical comparisons between the two. Let’s not forget in all of this smoke that Alex Jones and the rest are attacking and comparing a high school student to one of history’s most infamous monsters. A “deep state” actor.
Again; no proof; no facts. Circumstantial anecdotes and opportunistic pictures. No more. No less. People line up to eat this non-sense because it fills an emotional void. When a problem is difficult to understand or to fix, our brains, by way of survival instinct, look for explanations to fill the gaps. That is exactly where these monsters (Fox, Hannity, Limbaugh, Jones, and co.) do their damage.
They are spreading horse-shit conspiracies about whatever ails people who I believe are truly suffering in their day-to-day. Creating boogeymen that appeal to emotional voids left by damage done by decades of corrupt businessmen and practices. This is truly dangerous. I believe that everyone (these creeps included) should have the right to say whatever they want, but just as cigarettes, pharmaceuticals, and new cars come with disclaimers so, too, should these hack opportunists making a buck off those that are in dire need of hope. I’ve done some of the work for them and they are free to take it.
Examples: “Sean Hannity and his content are complete bullshit and should be taken only as entertainment as he is an entertainer and nothing more.”
“Alex Jones’ content is mild entertainment for the uneducated and should not be confused as truth…ever.”
“Rush Limbaugh is an irritating buggar who disgraces not only his community in Cape Girardeau but also Missourians writ large. Anyone you come across that speaks with his cadence and demeanor should immediately be written off as a liar and thief. Extreme caution is advised.”
“Fox News is not capable of truth-telling; rather, it is a propaganda machine that can easily be bought by any cause that has the pockets to line the coffers of the now dead Roger Ailes. Extreme caution is advised.”
BLUF: There is no “deep state.” There are only snake oil salesmen preying on people who have fallen on hard times.
The Morning Shave 