4 ms·
On the one hand, agency capture is a real phenomenon. On the other hand, it likely occurs at the top of the power pyramid, not among committed civil servants lo
by treetalker 2y ago
On the one hand, agency capture is a real phenomenon. On the other hand, it likely occurs at the top of the power pyramid, not among committed civil servants lower down.
- quantified 2y agoAt the same time, those that end up at the top of the pyramid in this admin will be the most corrupt ones available. This will wrong-foot anyone simplistically arguing that it wasn't the case.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- newsclues 2y agoA culture of corruption won’t only exist amongst the elite. Think about police corruption, the chief gets a big bribe from OC and the beat cops tax the population for their bribes
- markus_zhang 2y agoYeah, and it's kinda hard to root it out without damaging the organization.
- rufus_foreman 2y agoThe top of the power pyramid is not the deep state, it is the state. The top of the power pyramid is elected, or appointed by those who are elected. The deep state refers to those who are not elected, who are not appointed by those who are elected, but who exercise power across political administrations without any check by voters.
- groby_b 2y agoSo, career civil servants? Yeah, heaven forfend we'd want to preserve any kind of institutional memory. Let's reappoint everybody every two years, that'll make things work well.
- ImJamal 2y agoHe only provided part of the definition. It also are people who are working against the goals of the executive branch, which they are a part of. If a civil servent is doing their job they wouldn't be part of the deep state.
- LaundroMat 2y agoA civil servant's job is not just to do what the executive branch asks them to do.
- ImJamal 2y agoI wasn't clear. I am talking about stuff like this https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/nps-twitter-account-shut-down/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/nps-twitter-account-shut-d... You should be doing your job not creating hatred towards your boss.
- 1659447091 2y ago> The deep state refers to those who are not elected, who are not appointed by those who are elected, but who exercise power across political administrations without any check by voters. So, you mean Musk is part of the Deep State?
- rufus_foreman 2y agoNo. Musk was appointed as a senior advisor by someone who was elected, and he has not exercised power across political administrations, so he would not meet my definition of deep state.
- 1659447091 2y agoGot it, I took "who exercise power across political administrations" to mean across the administration, as in multiple departments. However Musk was first made the head of a an agency without Senate confirmation or Congress approval for the new position bypassing the people he should have been appointed by for the position. His label only changed once the courts got involved
- ImJamal 2y agoHe only provided part of the definition. It also are people who are working against the goals of the executive branch, which they are a part of so Musk wouldn't be counted.
- bilsbie 2y agoHow could you possibly know that?
- Eddy_Viscosity2 2y agoBecause if you capture the top, you automatically capture the bottom too. It's the shortest and easiest path.
- treetalker 2y agoIt's actually a pretty-well documented phenomenon. (My familiarity with it stems from having served as editor in chief of one of the primary administrative law journals.) I will try to dig up some articles to provide as sources, but many are behind hard paywalls (e.g., on Westlaw subscriptions, etc.). If it's not already there, put your email in your HN profile and I'll do my best to send some to you.
- overu589 2y agoHow would your educated self respond to “the voices in our heads are real and the secret state is thought control, of which all sides are pawns in games none understand.” This applies to all these other misaligned comments about corruption coming from the top rather than bottom of the “pyramid.” Ordinary people are doing what the voices in their heads cause them to (often without awareness, though truly intelligent people know they are there, without further comprehension.) The pyramid scheme is not of ordinary bureaucrats, it is of those disembodied men who control the voices in their heads. Mr. Kennedy knows something of these. Who will share their stories of what has been going on in their own minds?
- duxup 2y agoI think to the GoP "enemies" and "deep state" and so on is just anyone with a differing opinion...
- chneu 2y agoThis sounds awfully close to woke.
- duxup 2y agoIt pretty much exactly what they “think” woke means.
- dragonwriter 2y ago"enemies" is anyone with a differing opinion. "deep state" is anyone with a differing opinion that works in government.