Rob Urie, Zen economist, makes the case that impeachment is “Brought to You by the CIA .” Like Senator Ron Johnson, the Counterpunch contributor doesn’t trust the agency to be apolitical. That’s a reasonable stance, prompting Urie to ask a good question:
Given the CIA’s history of overthrowing democratically elected leaders and governments for the benefit of connected oligarchs, why is it a good idea to have the CIA within a million miles of domestic politics? Again, how would the CIA treat Bernie Sanders, or even liberal doyen Elizabeth Warren, if it is given the power to oust elected political leaders at will?
No, it is not a good idea to have the CIA so involved in U.S. politics. If the cable networks and major newspapers turn to former intelligence officers to opine on domestic politics, they should interrogate them about their politics motives. Urie is right that the agency’s attitude towards the next Democratic president may be hostile.
The problem is that if Trump gets his way, there will be no next Democratic president. The president has made it quite clear that he sees the Democrats as illegitimate. He says their leaders should be arrested. He’s using all the levers of power to delegitimize Democrats and suppress voting, the better to keep them (or us) out of power permanently.
Urie’s response to Trump’s tyrannical impulses is weirdly indulgent. He describes Trump as a “not-neocon /not-CIA insurgent.” That’s convoluted and unwarranted praise for a charismatic grifter who is manifestly unfit for the office. What exactly is Trump insurgent against?
Urie’s perspective is nothing, if not lofty.
This is where Russiagate / impeachment stands today: national security and surveillance state liberals have joined with a not-so-bright left to oust a not-neocon / not-CIA insurgent (Trump) from power. In other words, Mr. Trump may be everything that the not-so-bright left claims he is, but that has nothing to do with why he is being ousted from power. Impeachment is to bring Joe Biden to power to go after Russia.
If you, the reader, think Trump should be ousted from office because of high crimes or misdemeanors you are either “not so bright” or you are a tool of the the national security agencies. The ideologically diverse opposition to Trump’s presidency is composed of fools or knaves, Urie argues. That is factually inaccurate.
It’s easy to say impeachment is all a CIA trick. All you have to do is excuse Trump’s lawless behavior while ignoring the substance of the whistleblowers’ complaint.
Source: Impeachment, Brought to You by the CIA – CounterPunch.org
