By Wayne D. King, InDepthNH.org
flu on New Year’s eve and bringing in enough firewood to keep the
woodstove cranking as I watched the thermometer plunge from zero to
minus 10, then minus 20 and then down to minus 30 degrees below zero,
I managed to catch just a bit of news where I heard that President
Trump had turned his attention to what he and Steve Bannon – despite
their recent fall out – refer to as the “Deep State.
For those folks who don’t breathe the rarified air of Washington D.C.,
the “Deep State” is a term that has gathered some cache over the past
few years as the whipping boy of both the far left and the far right –
mostly those who never heard of a conspiracy to which they didn’t
subscribe. They somehow have become convinced that there is a
nefarious and shadowy group that acts to undermine elected
representatives of the people.
Wayne D. King
Based on this, I thought I’d take a shot at describing just what the
“deep state” means here at 2,500 feet above sea level in the shadow of
Rattlesnake Ridge in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
At 32 degrees below zero when I click that special button on my key
fob that starts my Jeep remotely, making it warm enough to keep Alice
happy. I thank the “Deep State” at General Motors that makes sure that
my Jeep works at this God awful temperature and that the “Deep State”
at EPA, the US Department of Transportation and the NTSB make sure it
doesn’t blow up or seize up on the road. . . no matter who the
President is or who’s in charge at GM.
When I walk into my house, turn on the lights and turn up the heat, I
thank the “Deep State” at the NH Electric Cooperative and Franklin
Delano Roosevelt for providing the rural electrification that made it
possible for electricity to power lights and an oil furnace to keep us
warm and dry even in below zero temperatures and the “Deep State” at
Dead River Heating and Propane for their oil and for our friend “Deep
State Dave” the driver who dares our steep driveway even when it is
covered with snow.
At the Grocery Store when we buy meat or fresh and frozen vegetables
all winter long we thank the “Deep State” at FDA that regulates the
safety of beef and pork and chicken and veggies as well as the Deep
State at Market Basket or Hannaford’s that makes sure they arrive on a
regular basis so that we are never without the sustenance to keep
hearth and home together – no matter who is President of the USA or
CEO of our grocery chain.
When I stop in at the Pharmacy to get a prescription I thank the “Deep
State” at the FDA that makes sure my drugs are safe. “Dr. Mike” our
pharmacist one of the cogs in the “Deep State” counts every pill twice
and checks to make sure that my prescription doesn’t interact
dangerously with other medicines I take. “Deep State Zita” takes the
time to ask about Alice and our son Zach and still makes sure I’m not
overcharged.
When a police officer stops us for a broken tail light I thank God for
the “Deep State” Department of Justice, the local police and courts
and the “Deep State” at the ACLU that create a nexus of
counter-veiling forces to assure my rights, even when I’m wrong.
When I turn onto the highway to return home, especially in a
snowstorm, I thank God for the “Deep State” at the Highway Department
and the Department of Safety and State Police that assure passage and
protect our safety on the roads.
During the last few months we’ve read of several thwarted terror
attacks here and abroad. You can thank the “Deep State” at Homeland
Security and the Department of Justice for that.
The “Deep State,” to those of us who do not see gremlins behind every
bush, is just another name for the hard working, patriotic folks who
go to work every day and do their jobs, even when some blowhards and
politicians denigrate them and their efforts.
This week President Trump took credit for the fact that no American
had died in a plane crash on US soil in 2017 – though an army of
journalists working feverishly over the past 24 hours has been unable
to uncover a single point of contact between the President and anyone
from the FAA or airline industry. With the entire airline regulatory
infrastructure still in the hands of Obama appointees he might want to
thank President Obama, or just the “Deep State” at the FAA.
—About Wayne D. King: Wayne King is an author, artist, activist and recovering politician. A three term State Senator, he was the 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor and most recently the CEO of MOP Environmental Solutions Inc., a public company in the environmental cleanup space. His art is exhibited nationally in galleries and he has published three books of his images. His most recent novel “Sacred Trust” a vicarious, high voltage adventure to stop a private powerline is available on Amazon.com. He lives with his wife Alice in Rumney at the base of Rattlesnake Ridge where he flies both the American and Iroquois flags proudly. His website is: http://bit.ly/WayneDKing
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