Power corrupts. Absolute power isn't required. There really aren't that many people who have aspired to absolute power. Most have been Leftists. Note, that isn't the same as Liberals. But most liberals support the concept of a singular tyrant. Granted, perhaps many wish for a benevolent tyrant, or at least a benevolent controlling government, but that is a fatuitous wish. With power comes corruption.
Currently we see the evidence of a "Deep State", that is a shadow government within the elected government. As long as the elected president was accepted by both the major parties AND the entrenched bureaucracy, the DS stayed hidden. However, when Donald Trump was elected he was declared an enemy by all of the aforementioned parties. The DS doesn't have a spokesperson to make such a declaration but that wasn't necessary. The resistance to his office began on November 9, 2016. The ground work began over a year prior to that, but it wasn't fully consolidated until the election was over.
DJT campaigned on "draining the swamp". The problem with that is that the swamp is inhabited by entrenched denizens who have accumulated power and perks over decades. They prefer to hide within the departments, running their fiefdoms, maintaining relationships with other department heads and congresscritters from both houses and both parties. Furthermore, the congresscritters also benefit from these relationships. Add to that the money from K street fertilizing the mix and the resistance is fierce indeed.
Telephone calls from the Trump Tower campaign office were disseminated. Whether the calls were recorded through a classic "wiretap" or by other means, the effect was the same. Private conversations were illegally revealed. This continued through the inauguration, perhaps still being done to this day. Phone calls to foreign heads of state were released. Leaks of confidential conversations were published. Individuals who disagreed with the results of the election acted either on their own in or concert to diminish the effectiveness of the president.
Employees of the White House, as well as employees of the rest of the Executive Branch are SUPPOSED to support the efforts of the President. But when they perceive that their security might be threatened, loyalty is tossed aside. Trump asked Comey for his loyalty. Comey refused to give it. Why? Because he was one of the swamp creatures. He was contributing to the leaks. Trump wanted Comey to do what he had actually already sworn to do - defend the Constitution. To be loyal to the President and support him. Trump wasn't trying to build a personal power base to subvert the constitution, he was trying to defend it!
The late Jerry Pournelle pronounced his "Iron Law of Bureaucracy" - 'In every organization there are two groups: those who work to advance the purpose of the organization, and those who work to advance the power of the organization itself. The second group will always prevail'.
This is The Swamp in it's essence. The EPA made great strides early in it's existence. But once those problems were solved the EPA went looking for greater opportunities to gather power and control the country and the economy. The IRS decided to select whom could be tax exempt based upon political affiliation. The DOJ decided to run guns to Mexican drug gangs to subvert the 2nd Amendment. The State Department took down governments and ran arms to alternative players. The list is long and disgusting. This is not restricted to only Democrat administrations, but it certainly has stronger roots there.
This contrast is due to a simple difference of philosophy: Conservatives (Bush 41 and 43 were NOT conservatives) tend toward smaller governments and more personal freedom and responsibility. Liberals support a greater control of the populace by government. (After all, they are smarter than everyone else and are supposed to tell everyone else what to do.) Republicans are supposed to be conservatives. Unfortunately, most of the ones in Congress aren't conservative. So the size and scope of the government grows unchecked, the Dems professing their "help" for the people by increasing the bureaucracy and the RINO's giving lip service to stopping it while in actuality doing nothing.
Then comes Trump. An Outsider. He has tons of money and can't be bought. He has no further aspirations in politics - what could they be? He wasn't elected with the help of the Party - far from it. He detests the size and scope of the government and is elected to reverse the course. He doesn't roll over and whine when he is attacked, he hits back harder. The only way he could be more dangerous would be for him to be black. I wish he were. He is a master at keeping the opposition (which is everyone) off balance. An opponent can't be effective if he is off balance. So Trump keeps them all guessing, screaming and off balance. They all hate him; what does he have to lose?
Government employment laws - Civil Service regulations (Simple Servants working for the Simple Circus) prevent mass firings based upon a change of administration. A few can be fired, certainly. Department heads submit their resignations expecting replacement. But the bulk of the employees have to be shuffled for other reasons. Guess who established a method of preserving a bulky, growing bureaucracy put into place by typically Dimocrat administrations? Trump's transition team began early, determining what agencies and positions were established by law and purpose and those that were added by fiat. The ones that do not have statute basis can be defunded. "Gee, sorry about that. We can't fire you...but there isn't any money to pay you. If you want to work for free...." Or if the department has a responsibility to perform and that performance hasn't been reported or supported, then that department is in violation of their charter. Ooops....
Trump's single mistake so far is in not being aggressive enough in trimming or at least isolating the permanent White House staff and making clear to his cabinet that their priority is working themselves out of a job by reducing their departments. Perhaps the foundation for that is being done quietly. Two simple things can (and should) be done to disrupt the balance of his enemies: Cut off the Oblamacare subsidies for Congresscritters and staff (they hardly fit the description of being a "small business" that was used to subvert the law) and to disband the public employee unions. Public employee unions were permitted under an executive order signed by JFK. Maybe he is waiting for the day after his re-inauguration.
The screaming would still be deafening after Pence's inauguration in 2024!
Until later....I'm still hunting.
ciao
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