Perspective: How paranoia about the 'deep state' brought down a president
President Richard Nixon, left, pictured in 1973, let paranoia about the"deep state" fuel the decisions that led to his resignation. President Trump is pictured in the Oval Office on Jan. 31. By Zachary Jonathan Jacobson Zachary Jonathan Jacobson is a Cold War historian. He received his PhD from Northwestern University.
When news of the leak was published, attention almost immediately settled on a 40-year-old defense analyst and senior research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology named Daniel Ellsberg. He had been one of a few dozen researchers who helped compile the secret defense report. And the FBI was convinced that he had leaked the papers.
After generations of Democratic rule in the executive branch, the president calculated that 96 percent of Washington bureaucrats were “against us.” “Down in the government are a bunch of sons of bitches,” Nixon barked to his Cabinet. “Many who sit in the meetings and debriefings … are out to get us.”
Colson, like Nixon, wanted to use Ellsberg to rescue the administration from criticism. Nixon’s theory of a deep-state conspiracy provided much needed justification for his own misdeeds and failed policies. Instead of presidential failure in Vietnam, Nixon pushed a theory going around in hawkish circles that Congress had connived to tie his hands militarily and that the federal government had lost its nerve.
By exposing such a dastardly conspiracy as the “counter-government,” Nixon could emerge a conquering hero to rescue the country from “the subversion of the unsavory characters.”
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Perspective | How President Trump shattered the bond between Republicans and NATOPerspective: How President Trump shattered the bond between Republicans and NATO
Leer más »
Perspective | The man who got me down the aisle wasn’t my dad — it was my therapistI never would have made it to marriage without my therapist’s guidance, and ultimately, his help letting me go.
Leer más »
Perspective | My New Mexico community would be a ghost town if Trump shut down the borderTourists would stop staying at my hotel, and children would not be able to attend school.
Leer más »
Mexico wants to 'bring order' to Central American migration to U.S.: presidentMexico will help to regulate the flow of Central American migrants passing throu...
Leer más »
Mexican president wants to 'bring order' to Central American migration to U.SMexico will help to regulate the flow of Central American migrants passing throu...
Leer más »
Senior Conservative Brexiteer threatens vote to bring down Theresa May's governmentFormer Brexit minister threatens to bring down May's government.
Leer más »
Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan — who once tried to take down Nancy Pelosi — is running for presidentRyan represents a district with a large auto industry presence, and will likely tout his efforts to boost manufacturing in a challenge to Trump's outreach to blue-collar workers.
Leer más »
Facing weekly mass protests, Algeria’s president says he will step down this monthEmbattled Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika says he will step down before his fourth term ends on April 28. He originally declared his candidacy for a fifth term, then withdrew and postponed the election in response to the massive protests.
Leer más »
Algeria President Bouteflika will resign, says state mediaAfter weeks of protest, Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika will resign, according to state-run newspaper APS. He is expected to step down before his term expires on April 28.
Leer más »
Algeria's president says he will step down before April 28President Abdelaziz Bouteflika originally declared his candidacy for a fifth term, then withdrew and postponed the election in response to massive protests. But he stopped short of stepping down immediately.
Leer más »