The American Deep State: Wall Street, Big Oil & the Attack on U.S. Democracy

by Peter Dale Scott

This provocative book makes a compelling case for a hidden -deep state- that influences and often opposes official U.S. policies. Prominent political analyst Peter Dale Scott begins by tracing America's increasing militarization, restrictions on constitutional rights, and income disparity since the Vietnam War. He argues that a significant role in this historic reversal was the intervention of a series of structural deep events, ranging from the assassination of President Kennedy to 9/11. He does not attempt to resolve the controversies surrounding these events, but he shows their significant points in common, ranging from overlapping personnel and modes of operation to shared sources of funding. Behind all of these commonalities is what Scott calls the deep a second order of government, behind the public or constitutional state, that has grown considerably stronger since World War II. He marshals convincing evidence that the deep state is partly institutionalized in non-accountable intelligence agencies like the CIA and NSA, but it also includes private corporations like Booz Allen Hamilton and SAIC, to which 70 percent of intelligence budgets are outsourced. Behind these public and private institutions is the traditional influence of Wall Street bankers and lawyers, allied with international oil companies beyond the reach of domestic law. With the increasing importance of Gulf states like Saudi Arabia to oil markets, American defense companies, and Wall Street itself, this essential book shows that there is now a supranational deep state, sometimes demonstrably opposed to official American policies and public interest.

Genres: Politics, History, Conspiracy Theories, Nonfiction, The United States Of America, American, American History

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was received as a birthday present by a friend intrigued by Scott's book-length Jakarta poem. As it happens, I'd read Scott before, but unknowingly, it being one of many books I've read regarding the JFK assassination.

Scott is an interesting fellow. Formerly a Canadian diplomat, he became an English professor at Berkeley and was, by his own account (given in a poem at the end of this volume), inspired by the Free Speech movement on that campus in the sixties to become a political activist. Although rather elderly now, a recent interview with him posted on the Web suggests that he remains exceptionally clear-headed.

The thesis of this book is rather simple and very broad. It is Scott's contention that when states achieve a surplus they tend to grow. This growth necessitates an increase in military, police and intelligence investments as occupied peoples resist. Such expenses absorb much of the surplus, provoke domestic opposition and tend to destabilize, if not destroy, the imperial state.

In the USA there have long been two political vectors in play. One arises from the grassroots, it being reflected in our traditions of popular government and public accountability. The other arises from the exigencies of imperialism, it being secretive, anti-democratic and militaristic. This, the 'deep' state, has been growing in power since the Cold War and has become especially threatening since Bush declared a national state of emergency after 9-ll.

Most of the text of this book is historical and focuses on the period from the Kennedy into the Obama administrations. It is densely packed with documented facts, reading rather like one of Noam Chomsky's works. It is also rather repetitious. A reader unfamiliar with the postwar history of the USA, and the details of presidential adminstrations since 1960, might find it hard going.

[Charles R · Rating 5 out of 5]

To read this book, you are really going to have to clear your mind.

You will need a lot of mental space to work out just how large and multi-dimensional is the network described in this book. You will have a lot of help, as Peter Dale Scott's book uses repetition, meticulous endnotes, and consistent argumentative movement to move you through these scenes and facts, speculations and detective work, to one inevitable conclusion: despite the vast size, encampment, and violent greed motivating the supranational conspiracy theorized in this book, it is still fundamentally weak against a disciplined, aware and persuasion-based action.

Again, the repetition, meticulous endnotes, and consistent argumentative movement are there to keep us engrossed while we learn to make these connections ourselves. This is consistent with his own opening point as he takes it from Arendt and Thucydides: regarding the only two ways to engage in political change, persuasion is superior to violence.

When all of the threads in the earlier chapters finally get their knots tightened together in the ending chapters, you will be prepared to accept with greater resolve the last chapter's offer and with deeper humility the epilogue's challenge. In this sense, Scott remains true to his word: you have the right, in this conversation, to put the book down and walk away.

If you do, though, it will only get worse than described.

And if you accept the description—that the United States of America is one of several nations whose public state has been co-opted by a global criminal enterprise responsible for millions of deaths as well as decapitations of the heads of states and the spread of drugs, misery, and financial debt and ruin, all to maintain their power over the increasingly interlinked economies of the world—then "worse" can only be true horror.

[Scott Carlson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish. reads too dry and jumps around from too many names and facts without context. good info presented poorly

[A.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does the United State have a "deep state"? A government within our existing public government structure that directs the nation's overall policies and actions irregardless of the citizens' popular will? Scott makes a pretty strong argument that indeed, the U.S., not unlike other imperial dynasties before it, does have a "deep state" that does as it wills, not as it is willed by our republican polity. To prove his thesis, Scott looks more deeply into the persons and similarities in major historic events (such as Iran-Contra) while noting that all of these events remain shrouded in official secrets not yet revealed to the public. He also makes a strong argument that in order to "command & control" deep state activities (especially covert and illegal activities), those in charge make use of secret communications systems and legal rulings built to ensure continuity of the government in the event of a nuclear war.

Given revelations in recent years of blatant and illegal government actions against foreigners and citizens alike (e.g., torture, NSA surveillance, imprisonment without charges, etc), one has to wonder if Scott is not wrong.

[J. Todd Ring · Rating 5 out of 5]

The term Deep State was poo-pood for a while, but now has become part of our standard lexicon. PDS gave birth to that field of inquiry, or at the very least, has been one of its major scholarly contributors. This book is a Top 10 must-read for every thinking person. Order it now, and read it right away. Few books are as important.

Imagine an utterly engrossing mystery thriller, but based 100% on the real world, and on solid scholarship. Ya, order it now.

J. Todd Ring,
January 2022
Author of Enlightened Democracy

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott continues his analysis of the "deep state"--the intelligence agencies working in secret and beyond any accountability to what we would like to call a "democracy." In this book, Scott emphasizes the deep state links to big corporations, especially Big Oil, and also, the Saudi royal government. If only the American people really knew what was going on....

[Voyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genesis and growth of the 'Deep State'.
POSTED AT AMAZON 2015
The term “Deep State” was coined in Turkey and is said to be a system composed of high-level elements within the intelligence services, military, security, judiciary (mentioned in the book are numerous parasitic, syphoning taxpayers $$ agencies like : FEMA, FISA, OEP, WHCA, ASC, AUMF, CACI, CFR, CTC, DEA, DIA, DHS, SAIC, ISI, JSOC, SOCOM, NCA, NPD, NSC, OEP, OPC, on top of the CIA, Pentagon and FBI of course)… the ever-expanding circle of non-governmental insiders from banking, industry and commerce. It can be also described as a hybrid association of elements of government and parts of top-level finance and industry that is effectively able to govern the United States without reference to the consent of the governed as expressed through the formal political process.

I cannot imagine any better writing about last 65 years of dark machinations perpetuated by the above entities of United States. Peter Dale Scott is a long time master analyst and thinker dedicated to this topic. He has been writing since the last 10 years about 'deep' mysterious events, like the JFK assassination, the Watergate break-in, or 9/11, which repeatedly involve law-breaking or violence, and are embedded in fact in deep politics. These structural deep events are large enough to affect the whole fabric of society, with “consequences that enlarge covert government, and are subsequently covered up by systematic falsifications in media and internal government records.
Other topic, among many from the book include:

-Ali Mohamed, the man detained and then released by the RCMP. In the 1980s Mohamed trained the CIA-backed mujahedin in Afghanistan. He then trained some of those who bombed the World Trade Center in 1993, before arranging for the 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Kenya.
-Iran-Contra.
-Brief history of CIA and drugs dealings.
-Funds from arms contracts.
-The ugly role of of Saudi Arabia/Qatar in supporting terrorists (the Safari Club, and the International Overworld).
-the AWACS deal.
-Offshore Funding and the Continuity of Deep Events.
-'Doomsday Project' explained in many details.
-career of John Edward Hoover as a progenitor of a Deep State.
-brilliant conclusions about 'pax-Americana"

Mr. Scott wrote several books, but this one (180 pages + extensive notes) makes references to most important of them. I've often wondered about the flip flops that Presidents make in relation to the promises invoked before they are elected. The mind blowing "The American Deep State" may partially explain it. I would also conclude that reader will find here the best possible explanation about secrecy of dirty connections between Saudi Arabia and the USA (re: 28 classified pages of 9/11 Commission Report).

Author believes that people should care about all this, apathy will never produce any change. Thought he is sceptical about amorphousness and lack of leadership characteristic for Occupy Movement, he writes in the end: "there must be leaders; and though leadership at any level of society requires vigilant watching, it is necessary".

I also highly recommend reading "The Untold History of United States" - about doings of the official elected consecutive governments (lets call them First Level State) since the beginning of XX century. Then grab this book to learn who truly have been acting and still acts behind governments in the shadow. Fascinating ultimate and the best investigation of nastiness.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched. Brilliant analysis of geopolitics and the relationships between American government, business and military. Scott posits that there has been an unelected body hidden from the public view operating behind the scenes of the visible elected government.

He claims American business interests, largely oil and weapons, drive American domestic and foreign policy. And he makes compelling arguments and has the receipts to support his claims. Looking forward to reading his other works.

[GERSHON... · Rating 5 out of 5]

DEAR AMERICAN SHEEP:


WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE


BEFORE ITS TOO LATE



BEWARE THE SKELETONS IN THE GOV'T CLOSET



THEY ARE NOT GOING TO JUST PFF VANISH


PROFESSOR EMERITUS PETER DALE SCOTT WARNED U LIKE HARRIET BEECHER STOWE "THE LITTLE LADY WHO STARTED THE BIG WAR." MR LINCOLN


BEST
GERSHOM STEVEN MENDLOVITZ

[Bob]

In light of the current events these past few months, with loonies running for President who suggest closing the boarders to Muslims while opening up back doors on the Internet, PDS's final chapter seems dated already. Great read!

[David Altemeier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is probably a pretty accurate representation of how governments really operate, but it's treated as some grand conspiracy, when it's really just BAU.