Today is Election Day in the US. As we post this piece, none of us here at Nestmann have any idea who will win the presidential election.
Our best guess is that “Crooked Hillary” will prevail – but barely. “Pussy Grabber” Donald could pull off a surprise win, although Hillary has the edge in last-minute polls. It’s even possible that neither of the major candidates wins 270 or more electoral votes, the minimum number required to win the presidency.
If that happens, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives would choose the winner. Of course, it is most likely in that case that Donald would be our next president, though the House could always select Hilary.
But it doesn’t really make any difference who wins the election. That’s because the president doesn’t really run things in the US anymore. The real power and authority rests in the hands of Wall Street and the military-industrial complex. That’s been true since the 1950s and especially after 9/11.
This “Deep State,” as some pundits have labelled it, is unaccountable to the normal political process. It is a collection of military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies, and their friends on Wall Street who shuttle in and out of government positions to run them. It includes the Defense Department, State Department, NSA, CIA, and the Justice Department, among other executive agencies. Not to mention well-connected Wall Street firms such as Goldman Sachs. And whether Hillary, the Donald, Deez Nuts, or anyone else takes the oath of office next January, the winner will quickly discover who the boss is. And it’s not the president.
The Deep State functions according to its own priorities no matter who occupies the Oval Office. And it does so in plain sight.
Does the Pentagon need a war to test out its latest technology? No problem… simply create a “crisis,” sell it to the American people, and send in the troops.
Does the NSA want to monitor the electronic communications of all Americans, even though it violates federal law? No problem… simply get the president to sign an executive order authorizing it to do so.
Does the Treasury Department need to keep interest rates near zero in order to avoid interest payments on the federal debt from skyrocketing? No problem… the Federal Reserve – another component of the Deep State – is happy to accommodate.
There’s a reason no candidate, with the exception of Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, discussed the truly important issues facing the US. The major party candidates have been briefed by representatives from the Deep State about who’s really running things. So Hillary spent much of her campaign criticizing Donald’s outrageous behavior. Donald spent most of his campaign criticizing Hillary’s private email server.
Consider America’s yawning national debt, for instance – $19.8 trillion and counting. In 2016, federal debt increased by a staggering $1.4 trillion… more than $3.8 billion per day. Yet, when was the last time you heard either party make serious proposals to reduce federal spending? Neither Hillary nor Donald acknowledges that without draconian cuts to entitlement spending, in a few years, the US will face the type of economic crisis Greece is dealing with now.
The Deep State solution to this problem isn’t to cut spending, because that would reduce its power. Instead, the International Monetary Fund – effectively controlled by the Deep State – has proposed a “one-off capital levy.” That’s a code term that represents the outright confiscation of 10% or more of your private savings.
Another example is civil liberties. Consider each candidate’s statements regarding NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, who exposed that agency’s massive campaign of illegal spying. Far from proposing meaningful reforms in this area, Donald promises he would “execute” Snowden if he’s elected. Hillary would merely have him “face the music” if he returns to the US. Presumably, that means she would have him tried for treason – which under federal law, is punishable by the death penalty.
With the Deep States’ backing, though, the president has virtual dictatorial powers. At the stroke of a pen, the president can send troops abroad to fight anyone anywhere, close all banks, impose exchange controls, assassinate US citizens without trial or conviction, detain “enemy combatants” indefinitely, and conduct warrantless surveillance of your electronic communications.
I could go on, but I suspect you understand my point. No matter which candidate is elected, count on more debt, asset confiscation, and continuing erosion in civil liberties.
If you haven’t done so already, now is a great time to start putting together your Plan B.
