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The Devil Made Him Do It 666

Reader comment on item: [Symposium] What Conservative Historians Are Saying about Trump's First 100 Days
in response to reader comment: Meds Yeghern! Seriously Mr President?

Submitted by Michael S, May 3, 2017 at 10:41

Hello, Dhimminomore

You mentioned the "Deep State", without noting its affiliation. What is their agenda?

"The concept of a deep state is that there exists a coordinated effort by career government employees to influence state policy without regard for democratically elected leadership.[1][2][3][4][5] The term, which was originally used to refer to sophisticated shadow governments in countries like Turkey and post-Soviet Russia, has also been used in U.S. political science to refer to entrenched government institutions wielding power, without necessarily implying a conspiracy.[6][7] Detractors claim that this idea is a "conspiracy theory"

"Some Trump allies and right-wing media outlets have claimed, without evidence, that former president Barack Obama is coordinating a deep state resistance to Trump.[20][22]

[20] Julie Hirschfeld Davis (March 6, 2017). "Rumblings of a 'Deep State' Undermining Trump? It Was Once a Foreign Concept". The New York Times.

[23] David Weigel (March 7, 2017). "Trump and Republicans see a 'deep state' foe: Barack Obama". The Washington Post.

-- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_state_in_the_United_States

I am VERY skeptical about there being a Deep Statre "conspiracy", orchestrated by Barack Obama. What I entirely believe, is that there is indeed a "deep state", consisting of perennial mid-to-upper-level functionaries in the labyrinthine federal bureaucracy -- people who have held their positions under the administrations of many presidents, whose agenda is little more than self-aggrandizement.

Concerning the "gas attack" episode, I believe what I have read, that Ivanka Kushner was largely responsible for swaying her daddy, the President, to taking action against the supposed perpetrator (Bashar al-Assad). I think it's unlikely that Ivanka acted without the connivance of her husband, who has himself been accused of being part of a "political insider" conspiracy.

I believe Mr. Kushner IS part of a conspiracy; but his AGENDA is, like his "Deep state" counterparts, simply self-aggrandizement, howbeit on a far grander scale. The "conspiracy" end of the matter simply flows out of the fact that Kushner (as well as his father-in-law) is a well-connected, high-rolling businessman; and chief among his "co-conspirators" are Ivanka and the other Trumps, as well as the Kushner clan. Beyond extending their own personal empires, I don't think there's an ideological bone in their bodies.

Are you with me so far?

With what I just said, how does this "conspiracy" affect Israel? How about Jared Kushner's Orthodox Jewish religion? Is that a factor? American Orthodox Jews are known for their strong support of Israel and of the settlement of the territories. If this is the case, though, why are so many on Israel's Right uneasy about the Trump presidency? Probably because Orthodox Judaism isn't Kushner's main religion: his main religion is himself; and, in a "trickle-down" fashion, those in his inner circle.

How am I doing so far. Notice that I am NOT invoking any classical "conspiracy" theory; just good, old-fashioned self-interest. Now, I will say something that will induce shocked disbelief in nearly anyone: Kushner is probably the "antichrist". Why would I say something so outlandish? It focuses largely on his affection for the property he bought, paying a record-breaking price, at 666 Fifth Avenue in New York. The name of the place, and the fact that the building used to sport that number Ee-yuge! letters. Chalk that up to coincidence. Also assume that Kushner knows absolutely nothing about the Bible, and has been oblivious to all the "666" and "antichrist" chatter in TV evangelist circles. Still, we are left with the following:

"666 Fifth Ave. was supposed to be the crown jewel of the Kushner empire. Instead it's a 41-story metaphor for the international real estate conflicts that have trailed Jared Kushner, and President Trump, to Washington. It's a reminder that no matter how much Trump and Kushner make a show out of separating themselves from their real estate empires, the business and the fortunes of their families in New York are closely entwined with the highly scrutinized interactions of global diplomacy.

""I love New York—it's the greatest city in the world," Kushner told the Real Deal after he closed the deal in 2007. "In this particular transaction, we bought really the CENTER OF THE WORLD, Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street. It doesn't get any better than that.""

-- http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2017/04/07/kushner_s_666_5th_avenue_is_a_perfect_metaphor_of_the_trump_administration.html

Kushner may be the second most powerful person at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC; but his heart is at 666 Fifth Avenue, New York City.

Conspiracy theory? Self-aggrandizement? "The Devil made me do it?" In this case, is there any difference?

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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Reader comments (20) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Trump 100. [82 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
AlbertE.May 4, 2017 00:46238956
3Meds Yeghern! Seriously Mr President? [319 words]dhimmi no moreApr 26, 2017 07:27238830
1The Devil Made Him Do It 666 [737 words]Michael SMay 3, 2017 10:41238830
1The Deep State is it real or is it just a myth? [38 words]dhimmi no moreMay 5, 2017 05:52238830
1The connections in conspiriacies [823 words]Michael SMay 8, 2017 02:32238830
1The designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization and the "Deep State" [542 words]dhimmi no moreMay 13, 2017 09:46238830
You've convinced me. I accept the conspiracy theory [474 words]Michael SMay 15, 2017 02:45238830
1I'm flattered that I convinced you but I'm not sure that you understood what I wrote [39 words]dhimmi no moreMay 17, 2017 09:37238830
Spirits and Conspirators [336 words]Michael SMay 20, 2017 09:56238830
1President Trump Does Not Need to Keep the 100 Day Calendar - It's Not His Calendar That's in Trouble [264 words]M ToveyApr 24, 2017 16:32238793
666 - the obvious, THE OBVIOUS [1546 words]Michael SMay 5, 2017 10:27238793
What May Be Obvious to Mankind IS NOT Necessarily Revealed from Heaven [453 words]M ToveyMay 8, 2017 11:39238793
Again, The Obvious is not Necessarily the OBVIOUS [286 words]M ToveyMay 9, 2017 13:06238793
Not too helpful. [69 words]Michael SMay 11, 2017 14:17238793
Trump's agenda. America's agenda. The Church's agenda. [912 words]Michael SMay 11, 2017 15:20238793
Faux Christianity No Longer Follows Christ Because they No Longer Seek Him Over Their Own 'gods' [20 words]M ToveyMay 15, 2017 09:08238793
Loss of Focus in 'Christian Agenda' Attendant to the Apathy at the End of the Age [198 words]M ToveyMay 15, 2017 10:01238793
Being President Not A Marketing Job [263 words]DaveApr 24, 2017 13:45238791
We like Vice President Pence, But at this time who would you put in Trump's place? [390 words]Anne- USAApr 24, 2017 08:41238777
2History News Network post [480 words]Lorenz GudeApr 24, 2017 05:53238774

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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