Excellent article - thank you! You’ve provided a clear analysis of how and why civil service evolved, the key role of Teddy Roosevelt in countering elite corruption a century ago, why our civil service agencies are necessary for any level of trust and safety in public life, and why they are subject to faults and waste. A very balanced analysis!
Heaven help us that over a century of progress for public health, services, safety, national parks, financial protections and more has been eviscerated in a matter of weeks!
We need all heads and hands on board - across political lines - to collaborate, bury the hatchet, and fight against the utter destruction of our public services sphere. Drop petty nonsense and attacks on the “other”. Organize locally and connect communities! Now or never!
Lol. That's quite the list on that graphic... I don't think Jerry Fawell, Milton Friedman, and Paul Weyrich would consider themselves all on the same side... lol.
Sounds like some bad joke, "Milton Friedman, Paul Weyrich, and Jerry Fawell walk into a bar..."
It's amusing to me, especially since I used to know Weyrich, Coors, Leo, Fuelner, etc. At the time, I'd have been hard pressed to see them as evil masterminds. Their contempt for the civil bureaucracy, however, was always well known.
One point the author makes us that they all don’t agree with the smaller issues, but are going in the same direction. It’s a long article, but worth a read.
This isn’t “draining the swamp.” It’s salting the earth.
What you laid out here isn’t a theory—it’s a roadmap we’ve seen before, from Putin to Erdoğan to Orban. The scary part is how fast we’re sprinting through the steps. Firing experts isn’t just bad governance—it’s sabotage disguised as reform.
And when the dust settles, you’re right: the leader won’t pay the price. The rest of us will—on the tarmac, in the ER, at the grocery store, and when the ATM says access denied.
This isn’t Deep State paranoia. This is the real deep rot. Appreciate the clarity.
Thank you for the most thorough article on our present horrific situation and what nightmares await that I have come across yet. This article should be widely circulated. You should submit it to the Washington Post or New York Times. Or Time Magazine (their cover could be “The Most Hated Men In the World “ with the faces of Trump, Musk & Vance.
I have debated about taking my money out of Bank of America. I think I may. Particularly with Trump’s recent shocking statement about there may not be any gold in the Federal Reserve. Who oversees this? Does DOGE have access to it too?
I think Credit Unions are much more secure. They are required to have the money on hand. What do you think?
Excellent article - thank you! You’ve provided a clear analysis of how and why civil service evolved, the key role of Teddy Roosevelt in countering elite corruption a century ago, why our civil service agencies are necessary for any level of trust and safety in public life, and why they are subject to faults and waste. A very balanced analysis!
Heaven help us that over a century of progress for public health, services, safety, national parks, financial protections and more has been eviscerated in a matter of weeks!
We need all heads and hands on board - across political lines - to collaborate, bury the hatchet, and fight against the utter destruction of our public services sphere. Drop petty nonsense and attacks on the “other”. Organize locally and connect communities! Now or never!
Well said!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Excellent article but oh so scary. As you stated, it's happening as we speak in real time. Will share.
Veterans are planning massive protests in Washington March 14-16 and around the country.
https://turnpurple2blue.org/2025/03/05/veterans-march/
Spread the word!!
The real deep state has been in process for decades. People who vote Republican don’t understand the risks to their way of life. https://open.substack.com/pub/lukium/p/the-real-deep-state?r=elmqn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Lol. That's quite the list on that graphic... I don't think Jerry Fawell, Milton Friedman, and Paul Weyrich would consider themselves all on the same side... lol.
Sounds like some bad joke, "Milton Friedman, Paul Weyrich, and Jerry Fawell walk into a bar..."
It's amusing to me, especially since I used to know Weyrich, Coors, Leo, Fuelner, etc. At the time, I'd have been hard pressed to see them as evil masterminds. Their contempt for the civil bureaucracy, however, was always well known.
One point the author makes us that they all don’t agree with the smaller issues, but are going in the same direction. It’s a long article, but worth a read.
This isn’t “draining the swamp.” It’s salting the earth.
What you laid out here isn’t a theory—it’s a roadmap we’ve seen before, from Putin to Erdoğan to Orban. The scary part is how fast we’re sprinting through the steps. Firing experts isn’t just bad governance—it’s sabotage disguised as reform.
And when the dust settles, you’re right: the leader won’t pay the price. The rest of us will—on the tarmac, in the ER, at the grocery store, and when the ATM says access denied.
This isn’t Deep State paranoia. This is the real deep rot. Appreciate the clarity.
Thank you for the most thorough article on our present horrific situation and what nightmares await that I have come across yet. This article should be widely circulated. You should submit it to the Washington Post or New York Times. Or Time Magazine (their cover could be “The Most Hated Men In the World “ with the faces of Trump, Musk & Vance.
I have debated about taking my money out of Bank of America. I think I may. Particularly with Trump’s recent shocking statement about there may not be any gold in the Federal Reserve. Who oversees this? Does DOGE have access to it too?
I think Credit Unions are much more secure. They are required to have the money on hand. What do you think?
Again, thank you!!