Six miscellaneous pieces by Quin, with the first especially worth reading. (For the full columns, follow the links embedded in the headlines.)
Bannon label’s ‘deep state’ theory as lunacy (Oct.5).
Conspiracy theorists are almost always wrong and often a bit kooky.
Now Steve Bannon, of all people, reportedly is telling loons on the Right that their favorite current conspiracy theory is garbage. For once, Bannon is right.
Bannon, the former major-domo at Breitbart News and onetime Trump White House strategist, was talking about the idea of a “deep state.” The phrase has come to refer to the rumor of a large, permanent, well organized, and largely hidden cadre of officials in law enforcement, intelligence, and the civil service who supposedly work in concert to subvert the people’s will and push leftist policies. Along with “swamp,” “neocon,” “treason,” and “coup,” it has become an almost mindless epithet hurled by Trump backers against their perceived enemies.
Bannon’s Breitbart was a leading popularizer of the notion that a sinister “deep state” exists. Now, though, the British Guardian reports that in a new, soon-to-be-released book, Bannon tells author James Stewart that “the deep state conspiracy theory is for nut cases.”…
Double-talking judge lets Harvard discriminate against Asian-Americans (Oct.1). [In a big blow to color-blind equality under the law, judge rules that] if we ignore the fact that the policy is “race conscious,” we will therefore find no racial animus. Who knew? That’s almost like saying that if we ignore the fact that grass is green, we can decide that grass isn’t green….
The fight on the right is over whether the ends justify the means (Oct. 1).
A worthy lawsuit to stop GOP from stacking the deck for Trump in South Carolina (Oct. 2).
A preview of the LA race for governor, the day before the primary occurred (Oct. 11).
A postscript to the LA primary for governor, two days after(Oct. 14).