I keep hearing about a "deep state." What are your thoughts?

[Scout]

While the term deep state as we know it is fairly recent, the concept certainly isn't. A behind-the-scenes community of power-hungry cohorts has been alluded to by other US presidents. In 1912, President Theodore Roosevelt warned:

Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people.

Then, in 1961, President Dwight D Eisenhower warned:

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

[Graeme]

For me, the 'deep state,' is simply defined as those elements of the government/state that operate without oversight by the citizens of the broader community.

In other words [1], those elements of the state that operate to agendas that are not responsive to the will of the people.

In other words [2], those elements you'll never get to vote on, or if you do - the impact of your vote will be watered down to zero effect.

Given the above, deep state elements are highly vulnerable to capture in the following ways.

[1] They become 'rogue,' pursuing an agenda/policy originating from within the affected organization.

[2] They are co-opted by external actors [Foreign states, or Corporate/Private/Oligarchic interests] and serve policies that originate with the external actor.

Given the above definitions, deep states are pervasive as there are many elements of the government/state even in 'nominally,' free societies that will enact policies we do not get the opportunity to vote on.

As to the level of capture/co-option - who the hell knows? - I don't.

[Nik]

Scout wrote: " A behind-the-scenes community of power-hungry cohorts ..."

Couldn't know for sure, but don't believe in them in this way, although it's fun and sometimes plausible to read about different conspiracy theories. Power - hungry cohorts would have hardships conspiring peacefully and maintaining understandings for their common greater good :)
However, it does look like seemingly representative/democratic institutions are sometimes much weaker than groups having specific interests and lots of dough to promote them. The complex governing system with multiple players, if to take the States, incl. the President, Congress, Judicial Branch and ideology opposing government intervention put considerable constraints on any specific official, while concentrated power centers of say - a specific industry, have established contacts and influence, through donation and sponsoring, organizational support, often employ high level former officials and could work in a much more orchestrated manner and be much more effective. Anything specific regarding banking, finance, biz, procurement, whatever is decided effectively and quietly out of the scope of public attention. However, try to promote something supposedly publicly beneficial - it would be bogged down in endless commissions, debate, advocates and opponents and the end result (if at all - achieved) would be so watered down, as to have very little effect.
It's so much more comfortable to have running polemics and people engaged in something abstract that for many of them have little practical significance - like abortions or gay marriages -:)

[Scout]

It seems to me like a magician distracting you while he's manipulating things you don't see. Are we being made fools of?

[Nik]

Scout wrote: "It seems to me like a magician distracting you while he's manipulating things you don't see. Are we being made fools of?"

To a degree: yes, and also manipulated, lured, stupefied and otherwise tricked and deceived. And it's annoying since the system is supposedly designed, declared and presented to be "democratic".
However, deception is in our lives on every level, be it on personal, when vows like "I will marry you" or of loyalty and stuff are broken, or on a commercial, when companies use dirty tricks to lure customers to buy their merchandise, concealing bad side-effects and other instances..
Not saying, we should put up with it, vice versa - it's important to question the face value in everything (but not to an exaggerated paranoid level -:)) and act accordingly, although some would argue that knowing all the dirt would make our lives less happier -:)

[Scout]

Knowing all the dirt might make us less happy. But knowing that the dirt is there and not knowing what it is makes us paranoid. It's like finding out your mate is cheating on you and having him/her admit it. Then you know what you're dealing with. But if you know your mate is cheating and they won't admit it, then you doubt everything and begin to imagine all sorts of things that may/may not be true. I think paranoia is a logical reaction to knowing that unknown forces beyond our control are affecting our daily lives.