It’s been an article of faith in many circles of populist conservatism that events of the past few years have been orchestrated by a secret cabal generally referred to as “they” or “the committee” or simply “the elites.” (This is not quite the same as the “Deep State,” though the Deep State would certainly be involved.)
It’s not completely clear what this outfit consists of or who the members are, though all agree that Obama is the key man. Apart from that, names such as Susan Rice, Eric Holder, Valerie Jarrett, and Bill and Hillary have been floated. There’s not a single piece of evidence that any of them – Obama included – is actually involved.
This committee is theorized as having a master plan to carry out the “transformation of America,” as promised by Obama in 2008. It has connections all over government, and the ability to order whatever actions it finds necessary, and have its orders carried out. Its knowledge is held to be omniscient, its planning always perfect, its actions always totally successful.
It’s easy to picture this as a Bond film fantasy. A round table with glowing monitors at each seat, Obama sitting at the head wearing a Mao jacket and stroking a Persian cat while debate swirls around him. Above the table a giant screen flickers, occasional revealing the visage of George Soros studying them and offering occasional suggestions. Every now and then one or more of them rises to put on a headset that enables them to commune with an AI that holds all data concerning everyone on Earth. A small robot spins in occasionally with box wine for Hillary…
Yeah, that’s how I see it. And – be honest – that’s how you see it too.
It’s hard not have some sympathy with this view. Old boy (and girl, these days) networks do exist and they do exert influence. Obama, ensconced two blocks from the White House, is certainly up to something. And then there’s this, from Letitia James just last week:
We’ve studied their platforms. We’ve identified certain possibilities… fact patterns. We have created contingency plans. So no matter what the next administration throws at us, we’re ready.
Confronted with remarks this demented, it’s no surprise that people might respond with conclusions that are nearly as off-kilter. But all the same, we do need to draw a line. Along with the Bond films, we need to add a big chunk of Idiocracy.
Let’s consider some of the schemes that have played out over the past eight years – assuming that they were initiated by this hypothetical committee, just for the sake of the argument.