Bad Faith

Episode 416 Promo - The Deep State & 2024

Oct 21, 2024

Aaron Good, a political scientist and author of 'American Exception: Hegemony and the Tripartite State,' dives into the concept of the deep state and its impact on U.S. politics. He explains how perceptions of the deep state have been skewed by the right. The conversation touches on its influence in the 2024 elections, especially regarding Democratic candidates and their policies. Good even humorously questions whether embracing an MFA for insurance might be a viable path for those disillusioned by politics.

06:54

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Aaron Good

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Quick takeaways

The deep state represents a persistent power structure in U.S. politics, overshadowing democratic processes and undermining citizen agency.

Current right-wing rhetoric misuses the term 'deep state' to obscure systemic economic inequalities, diverting attention from capitalist oligarchy critiques.

Deep dives

The Concept of the Deep State

The deep state operates as a permanent system within U.S. politics, suggesting that the electoral process is often overshadowed by other powerful entities that pull the strings behind the scenes. Key figures, like Mike Lofgren and Peter Dale Scott, have highlighted how this system benefits Wall Street and corporate America, while keeping its activities obscured from public scrutiny. Scott’s work has particularly emphasized the historical context of the deep state, illustrating its roots in informal power structures and relationships between various influential groups, including the mob and intelligence agencies, which manipulate governance outside the law. This collaboration gives rise to an oligarchic system that masquerades as a democracy, effectively undermining genuine electoral processes and citizen agency.

Unveiling the Deep State: Oligarchic Influence in American Politics

5min

Historical Parallels: Oligarchy, Emergency Politics, and Scapegoating

2min

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Political scientist Aaron Good joins Bad Faith to discuss the deep state and his book "American Exception: Hegemony and the Tripartite State," in which he examines the relationship between the state, elite criminality, and U.S. hegemony. What is the "deep state," how has that term been misappropriated by the right, and how is the power of the deep state being reflected in the 2024 election -- both with respect to the choice of Democratic candidate and her policy priorities? Also, can the deep state be beat -- and if not, is it time to just say screw it and get an MFA for health insurance and a little structure while we work on our novels?

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Produced by Armand Aviram.

Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).