The Deep State by Mike Lofgren (read 7/31/19 to 8/7/19)

This book is written by a former Republican Congressional Employee, he worked for 28 years as a staff member and national defense analyst for the House and Senate budget committees. He said, “My purpose with this book is to question the rationale of the game rather than attack the player who happens to be at bat at any given inning.”

Deep State: “A shadow government ruling the United States that pays little heed to the plain words of the Constitution8. It’s governing philosophy profoundly influences foreign and national security policy and such domestic matters as spending priorities, trade, investment, income inequality, privatization of government services, media presentation of news, and the whole meaning and worth of citizens’ participation in their government.”

“A hybrid association of key elements of government and parts of top-level finance and industry that is effectively able to govern the United States with only limited reference to the consent of the governed as normally expressed through elections.”

This was a depressing read, 265/277 pages about how corrupt and messed up our government is. I will give it to Lofgren he equally blamed both parties. It was a lot of depressing stuff, nothing is what it seems, everyone has a secret agenda, and nobody cares about the state of our country or its citizens.

But don’t fear Lofgren has the solutions in his final chapter.

1. Eliminate private money from public elections. 
2. Sensibly redeploy and downsize the military and intelligence complex. 
3. Stay out of the Middle East. 
4. Redirect the peace dividend to domestic infrastructure improvement. 
5. Start enforcing our antitrust laws. 
6. Reform tax policy. 
7. Reform immigration policy. 
8. Adopt a single payer health care system. 
9. Abolish corporations personhood status, or else treat the exactly like persons.

Overall Lofgren seems to have been telling what he saw as an insider at Congress, and how disappointed and disillusioned with our government he was when he left.  He provided a great amount of evidence for why change is needed, which I think we all know, and his solutions are not new ideas, just ones that no-one seems willing or able to make happen.  Besides writing this book, it did not seem he was trying to change anything, I did not hear about him becoming an activist or even a lobbyist.  Maybe he thought this book was action enough?  I don't know why I disliked it so much, yeah the subject matter was hard, there were some events that it provided a new perspective on, but for the most part, I already knew that at the upper echelons of our government there is disfunction and change needs to happen so that more can be accomplished.  Maybe it was his tone that bothered me, he writes with a disgust and a "no hope" attitude up until the last chapter.  I love my country, and I understand that we are not functioning at the best of our ability right now, both public and private, government officials and private citizens, maybe I am an optimist but I don't feel that there is no hope.  I just don't know when it will happen, but when it does I hope it will be swift.

*Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of the US Government. None of the ideas expressed in this blog post are shared, supported, or endorsed in any manner by my employer.