When campaigning, most politicians promise anything the electorate would like to hear or want to see, no matter how outlandish these promises may be. Just recall the silly antics of our own politicians as they ridiculously sang and danced to entertain voters. I can still vividly see images of a clownish former Cabinet secretary pathetically swaying to music, with his fat belly gyrating to the beat. He didn’t win, by the way. Perhaps there is hope that there are discerning Filipino voters after all.

United States politics is no different, I guess. Promises have been made, and the US electorate — and the world — await whether these promises will be fulfilled, for good or bad. But President-elect Donald Trump is clearly bent on making good on his campaign promises to his constituents, as the announcements of his initial Cabinet choices are already creating quite a stir.

One of Trump’s most controversial promises is to overhaul the Washington bureaucracy. In particular, he aims to dismantle the so-called “deep state,” a popular subject in dozens of box-office hit movies over the years, such as JFK, All the President’s Men, The Manchurian Candidate and Wag the Dog.

For those who are not movie aficionados, in which case these movies may mean little to you, or who are in the dark about what the “deep state” means, allow me to share my understanding based on Mr. Google.

The “deep state” is supposedly a political conspiracy, a cloak-and-dagger network of ranking leaders in government agencies such as the military, intelligence, FBI and CIA, secretly colluding with big business to influence US policy in ways that serve the interests of moguls who own various businesses in the defense, oil, and pharmaceutical industries, without necessarily considering the interests of the people.

If you are to believe the conspiracy theorists, think in terms of encouraging wars so armament businesses can thrive, or creating Covid and other infectious viruses so the pharmaceutical industry can rake in billions in vaccine profits. Even assassinations of domestic and foreign leaders are part of their playbook — think JFK’s assassination and perhaps even the failed attempt on Trump.

Surprisingly, the theorists are far from being a small group of hyper-imaginative Don Quixotes. In a 2018 opinion poll, supposedly almost half of the US population believed in the existence of the “deep state.”

Who are some of the appointees who have raised eyebrows?

For the extremely sensitive position of Secretary of Defense, Trump chose Fox News personality Peter Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer. Hegseth was a major when he left the Guard after being removed, reportedly for his Jerusalem Cross tattoo, from the security detail appointed to guard the inauguration of Joe Biden. He served in Guantanamo and volunteered to serve in Baghdad and Samarra; ran unsuccessfully for senator in Minnesota; and is a confirmed conservative who has loudly supported Trump in the past. He is definitely considered an outsider — a self-styled “Christian Nationalist” who will surely rock the senior military establishment boat, which is composed of generals and other high-ranking officers.

Then there is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who got his quid pro quo wish and was appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services. He is an environmental lawyer, a deeply committed anti-vaccine advocate, and an unconditional deep-state theorist. The role he will occupy is right up his alley, as he will have sway over a vast array of agencies that monitor the health of the American public, such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ironically, Kennedy’s staunch environmental advocacy runs counter to Trump’s clarion call of “drill, baby, drill.” Well, I guess such is the world of politics and compromise. RFK Jr. will have to put his environmental crusade on hold.

For the extremely sensitive position of Secretary of Defense, Trump chose Fox News personality Peter Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer.

The choice to head the Office of the Attorney General, which oversees the Department of Justice — the world’s largest law enforcement agency tasked with prosecuting criminal offenders — is former Congressman Matt Gaetz, who himself has been accused of statutory rape for having sex with a minor.

Need I say anything more?

Until next week… OBF!

For comments, email: bing_matoto@yahoo.com.