Ian Fitzgerald

Taking a broad definition of "deep state" – essentially, vested interests that have subverted democratic conventions to their own ends – Fitzgerald then details examples of its actions across the world from antiquity to the present day. It's a dispiriting but educational read. The main problem is a lack of synthesis, a "so what?". We're told a lot about how democracies have failed or been corrupted but not given any sense of what it means, what it tells us, or perhaps even what we should do about it. The last section, about the emergence of digital deep states, comes closest to offering some insight, but it's limited. The book feels more like a resource text than an argument.… (more)

The Deep State by Ian Fitzgerald is a good read that uses a broad and perhaps too inclusive definition of deep state. That isn't to say it isn't a valuable read, but it just barely touches on the more current use of the term.

As a history of those people and groups behind the scenes who have their own goals and agendas, this is a very informative book. Many of the instances will likely be familiar to many readers but the value is more in the putting together of these groups into a single history.

The more common use of "deep state" and, often used interchangeably in public discourse, "dark state" focuses on the ever broadening scope of what becomes classified information and why, primarily beginning after WWII. The vague rationale of "national security" offers a blanket under which many goals and wrongdoing can hide from public scrutiny and thus accountability. It is this more common understanding of "deep state" that receives minimal attention here. That said, this doesn't claim to be an in-depth look at current events, it is a history and some of that history does help us to understand some elements of what we are experiencing today.

While I do recommend this book, I would just warn anyone who wants to know specifically about our current socio-political environment that that is not what this volume focuses on. A recent book that offers some insight into both the classification and declassification issues that mask what we currently think of as the "deep state" is The Declassification Engine by Matthew Connelly. The history covered there speaks directly to where we are now. Both books are good reads but have different goals and different working definitions.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (more)

nonfiction, science, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, radiation, cancer*****

Wilhelm Roentgen 1923, the Curies 1934, the Radium Girls 1920s, Nagasaki 1945.
Three Mile Island 1979, Chernobyl 1986, Fukushima 2011.
At the time of the Chernobyl disaster, the reactors were owned and operated by the Soviet Union but located in the state of Ukraine.
This book goes into the escalation of errors as well as the destruction of employees caused by the radiation.
Some of the factors are engineering based, but the majority of the information presented is clear and decidedly understandable. A necessary read.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Arcturus Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!… (more)