The American deep state

Like a volcano, Afghanistan is on the boil again. Wrong. Volcanoes have a long period of dormancy – 20, 40, 50 years. Afghanistan is constantly erupting – more like the tea barrel at a local restaurant. I do not want to weigh in on the current Afghanistan situation. Everybody and their aunties are doing so. Soon Mehwish Hayat shall share her two bits worth. Sufficient to say that the Afghan endgame has three winners. 1 – One family has become the richest in Asia – they have a sprawling business empire. 2 – Cricket has really taken off. 3 – Coca-Cola (Coke) has replaced Afghan Tea as the drink of choice.

Revisiting history, two events in the 1960s/70s shaped the domestic and external policy of the US. Unknown to the common American, the policy that emerged from these two events became a clandestine policy directive. Thereafter, all the American presidents and the ‘deep state’ have abided by these unwritten directives.

1. The Military Industrial Complex (MIC).

The power and dangers of the MIC were first espoused by President (Former General) Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower in 1952. He was in the know. In fact, he was the pointman of the MIC. As supreme commander of SHAPE, he had seen it all. In 1952, ‘Ike’ had predicted that progressively the MIC will become supremely powerful. This has happened not only in the US but in many other countries – Russia, China, Egypt, Thailand, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, etc. In the US, the Pentagon budget is approximately US$700 billion and can rise when required. The budget of the State Department is approximately US$70 billion. Power is exercised proportionately. The mandate is to keep the MIC humming, buzzing and profitable. When the economy is slow, use the age-old principle – start a war. The schism in the Gulf countries was strategically engineered. Once cast off, Qatar went on an arms buying spree – US$9 billion. The Afghan war was not necessary or could have ended in 2005 but for the MIC (both USA + European). They needed more contracts, battlefield testing of new weapons, etc. My favourite American has always been Donald Rumsfeld, the Secretary of Defense under two Presidents and the initiator of the Afghan and Iraq wars. Now dead. His famous one-liner “If you want loyalty, get a dog”. I would have loved to ask him “Which breed do you recommend? – German Shephard, Rottweiler, Spaniel, Poodle?” According to this edict, wars will continue for which enemies and narratives will be manufactured. I, for one, am a fan of the MIC.

1. The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy (JFK).

The second event that shaped policy occurred on 22 November 1963. The President of the US, JFK, was gunned down. Since then, hundreds of documentaries, reports, analyses have taken place. A small industry. Poor Oliver Stone has grown old trying to convince people of alternate theories. Cover-up after cover-up, starting with the Warren Commission. If any journalist gets too close, he gets taken out – like all the key witnesses. JFK, while candidate and then President, had hugely annoyed the Military Industrial Complex. And the other State & Non-State actors. The mob was angry (Joseph Kennedy had failed to deliver). The conservatives were on ‘Orange’ alert. In their view, Kennedy was doing everything wrong. On the Cold War, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Civil Rights, Cuba, Vietnam. The MIC has no need for peaceniks. JFK was marked for elimination. The question was: How? JFK had serious medical issues. One injection at the Walter Reed Hospital (an MIC asset) could have done the job. The final decision was “Eliminate with extreme prejudice”. Make an example. Spread fear. JFK was killed in Dallas, Texas. The home-state of Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ), Vice President. On Airforce One, winging back to Washington D.C. LBJ was administered oath. As soon as LBJ, now President, landed in D.C., he defanged Robert Kennedy, the Attorney General, so no investigation could proceed. Within a week, LBJ was putting on hold or reversing Kennedy’s policies. The message was loud and clear: ‘We the MIC and our proxies are in control. We decide. We execute.’ Since that time no American President has dared to cross the red line. In fact, most have been compliant.

The only problem left was the American people. The Masters launched a campaign that eulogized people - Democracy, Inclusiveness and Equality. The people were made to believe that they lived in a democratic utopia. Gettysburg Address, The Declaration of Independence and all other elements were mobilized to convince people of their power. Noam Chomsky and Edward Said were encouraged to speak out. Managed outrage and dissent were created. By 1990, the project was complete. The MIC and their proxies (the 1% Titans, Plutocrats, Royals) have control of the system – Worldwide.

(The writer is a former Executive Director of the Management Association of Pakistan)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021