Hey Mark,

Yep, this is the best email addy. Was hoping to resurrect the old group. I know, fat chance.

Flattered you sometimes take time to read my stuff!

As far as the "Deep State," A.K.A. the Administrative State — which, as an auditor, you were part of for awhile — that meme originally came to fame as a result of this article – – –

Essay: Anatomy of the Deep State | BillMoyers.com

It wants to live for itself (salaries, benefits, etc.) and mostly because of a very active "Capture Theory," evolves to serve the money, which counts on it to continue being the money. Especially pernicious is the MilitaryIndustrialCongressionalComplex branch in cahoots with the CIA substructure – – –

"Now, as nearly as I can make out, those fellows in the CIA don't just report on wars and the like, they go out and make their own, and there's nobody to keep track of what they're up to. They spend billions of dollars on stirring up trouble so they'll have something to report on. They've become … it's become a government all of its own and all secret. They don't have to account to anybody." –President Harry S. Truman (who created the CIA) Truman Was Right About the CIA

Because government survives on exacted tax money with no market controls, as Reagan quipped, "The closest thing to eternal life on earth is a government program." Which explains why Uncle Scam just gets bigger and bigger and has morphed, evolved, and mutated into That Thing That's Living in Washington D.C.

As far as Putin's motivations go — and a few other significant things —

Putin's Valdai Speech: Multipolar Future Has Arrived and Russia is Here to Stay

James Rickards on Putin, Ukrainian Nukes, Economic Warfare, Gold and Trump's Trial