Bureaucratic Empire (AKA The Deep State)
by Pete Ketcham
We have all experienced complete frustration as we have dealt with various Federal agencies, most common to us such as the IRS, BLM, USFS, EPA, FAA, and others as they arbitrarily enact new laws and regulations which benefit their liberal constituency, but in many cases are totally illogical, and achieve the apposite result intended. These above named agencies are just the “tip of the iceberg” of the total number of federal agencies that exist as a part of the “deep state” within our government.
In my research the number of Federal agencies and departments varied considerable according to the source. There may be as many as 430 agencies and departments plus 15 cabinet positions. Rather than go into a long recitation about the name and number of all these agencies, I refer you to two links listing all the agencies. Just a cursory overview will reveal that there is some agency or department for almost any insignificant issue you can imagine.
https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/a
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_agencies_in_the_United_States
This all encompassing kingdom of Federal bureaucracies has millions of subjects (federal employees, bureaucrats) that will do the bidding of the kingdom as they rule over the unwashed masses (us). There is an estimated 2.7 million federal employees not including the politicians and their state & DC staffs. This number does not include city, county, and state employees (bureaucrats). The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports there is approximately 22 million combined total.
It is not my intent to just quote numbers, but to show the tremendous clout and influence these federal employees can wield regardless of who the President is. We are currently seeing this illustrated with the issues the DOJ and the FBI are currently engaged in which are frustrating the Trump administration’s goals.
Speaking of frustration, many of us wonder what is holding Jeff Sessions back from stepping in and taking control of the Department of Justice. Rod Rosenstein the deputy AG seems to be running the Justice department, while Sessions runs around the country making bold statements about law enforcement, but doing nothing spectacular. I personally picture Jeff Sessions as a little mouse with glasses on it’s nose, cautiously peeking around the corner, hoping the democrat cat won’t pounce on it.
But Getting back to the general topic, it is evident that the liberal left through recent years has been able to load these agencies and departments with career employees that reflect the leftist philosophy. These employees, who enjoy job security, benefits, and generous retirements, donate to, and vote for democrats by an overwhelming majority. In addition to this the federal employee unions contribute heavily to democratic candidates. Thus for a conservative republican president and his staff to control the bureaucrat leadership of all the agencies, and enact their policies, it is extremely difficult to do, and is getting progressively worse. For example, Betsy DeVos, the secretary of education can hardly visit any school in the US without a complete security detail to guard against assaults and organized protests.
Perhaps, after eight years (hopefully) of conservative policy, these agencies could be brought back into a neutral balance by retirement of liberals and replacement by conservatives, if not, the inane and illogical regulations will continue on, and the agencies will grow larger but more incompetent as classically demonstrated by the USFS’s illogical environmental forest management and fire fighting policies.
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A front page NYT article for today, April 22 2018 gives a rare glimpse into this Deep State/Permanent State, and of the apparatchniks who populate it. The article, entitled ” Scott Pruett before the EPA: fancy homes, a shell company….”. Describes a man – now the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency – always on the lookout for the main chance, and who does not scruple accepting thinly disguised bribes. His career since being the Attorney General of Oklahoma is marked by one sweetheart deal after another, enriching him at the hands of corporate interests, and there is little doubt that he is working on their behalf now at EPA. This corruption is endemic to ALL federal Agencies. Their overarching goal is their own preservation and expansion,and the inane and illogical regulations noted by Mr Ketchham do make sense as promulgated by such power mad outfits. I do question Mr Ketchham’s fond hopes of chastening these out of control agencies. Doesn’t his “Perhaps in eight years” sound a lot like pie in the sky ? “Next year, in Jerusalem”? As a close Bundy associate – that’s me along with Jeff, Shawna and David in the “Govt overreach” photo above – I say that these agencies are no less than organized crime. they operate exactly like the Mafia. Perhaps Mr Ketcham can explain how to negotiate with and tame the Mafia. What recourse should be barred to us when our life liberty and happiness is at stake ? No…We should forget our fond, pie in the sky about reforming Mordor on the Potomac. The peaceful and Constitutionally supported way out will start were we can make a difference, where we can get our hands on the levers of power – in our states and counties.