Intro 0s
- The Deep State, a term used to describe unelected individuals who hold significant secret power and influence within a government, has been involved in major historical events since the 1960s, including the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- Members of the Deep State include influential figures such as CIA directors, Supreme Court Justices, and powerful journalists.
- Operating in secrecy and unaccountable to the public, the Deep State has been accused of blackmailing Congress, undermining presidents, and pursuing its own secret agendas.
- Despite its controversial nature, the Deep State remains a real phenomenon with significant implications.
Origins of the Deep State 7m26s
- The CIA was established in 1947 after the disbandment of the OSS due to concerns about its power and potential for abuse.
- The CIA has been involved in numerous covert operations and intelligence-gathering activities throughout its history, including the overthrow of foreign governments, the recruitment of foreign agents, and the use of torture.
- The CIA has been criticized for its secrecy, its use of questionable tactics, and its involvement in controversial operations.
- The Deep State refers to a secretive network of powerful individuals, including those within the CIA, who operate behind the scenes to influence government policies and decisions.
Rise of the CIA 13m55s
- The CIA engaged in covert operations during the Cold War, including coups, assassinations, and mind control experiments, often influenced by American corporations and powerful individuals.
- The CIA used blackmail and other tactics to silence critics and maintain its power, leading to a loss of trust in the government and contributing to the anti-war movement of the 1960s.
- Despite evidence of abuses, the CIA continued to operate with little oversight or accountability.
- The Deep State, referring to unelected government officials with significant power and influence, has been accused of spying on both the American public and the rest of the world.
- Americans are increasingly aware of the Deep State's power and concerned about its implications for democracy.
The Church Hearings 19m58s
- The Church Hearings revealed excessive secrecy and abuses within the executive branch, including the FBI, CIA, and NSA.
- The hearings exposed illegal and unethical programs, such as assassination plots, spying on Americans, and targeting civil rights activists.
- The CIA's LSD mind control experiments and attempts to infiltrate the Free Press were also made public.
- The Church Committee found that unelected government employees used immense power and resources for illegal and unethical programs, often with the knowledge and consent of Congress.
- The hearings led to new oversight regulations and committees to rein in the Deep State.
- The Deep State fought back against the Church Committee, undermining and intimidating its members.
- Americans were shocked by the revelations of the hearings, but the process demonstrated American democracy's ability to rein in abuses of power.
- The Church Hearings helped prevent disasters for a few decades by exposing and addressing the worst impulses of those in power.
Post 9/11 25m41s
- After 9/11, there was a desire to strike back and do anything necessary to keep the country safe.
- The CIA asserted new powers, including implementing a torture program and expanding warrantless wiretapping.
- Millions of new top-secret jobs were created, and new agencies were formed.
- There was not a lot of effective oversight on these new programs.
- Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee and computer technician, leaked classified NSA documents that revealed a secret surveillance program.
- This raised questions about whether the government's surveillance programs were necessary for safety or if they were infringing on citizens' freedom.
- The government's surveillance programs have created a new branch of government power that operates outside of the traditional checks and balances.
- This has led to concerns about over-classification of information and the concentration of power in the hands of a few.
- Despite promises to rein in the excesses of the surveillance programs, they have continued to grow.
