SPOILERS for future posters!

Couldn't agree more. I stumbled across this on Netflix-streaming today, looking for something new to watch. Not disappointed. Just finished season 1 episode 2. Yes, I know "Kim" died at the end. I read your other post first, topcat. Can't wait to finish the entire series. I feel a binge-watch marathon coming up this weekend.

I am guessing you have binged through Secret City by now, as I have.

I love this series. It is art imitating life, to be sure. It shows how the deep state, the secret machinations of big Defense, big Oil, big Tech, and lots of other huge international business interests, along with the banking cartel, together with the politicians, intelligence networks, and others who can be bought off, or who are ideologically on board with the goals of the deep state, are often the real driving force in the decisions of our governments. In season 2, it is the military industrial complex and associated politicians, intel. assets, and bureaucrats who use their power to run a secret and illegal war out of Australia. I am all for exposing the deep state in all its usurpations and illegal activities. It is unelected, and it destroys the system of representative government from within.

I had a thought, sort of outside the plot of the series, but tangential to it. The secret war was being run against a terrorist group, the Hakani, in Pakistan. The Pakistani government was aware of this group but was apparently unable to do anything about them, either with law enforcement or with their military. That raises all sorts of questions. As one person opined, the Pakistani government may have been simply using this group to carry out actions while keeping their own hands clean. That would explain the Pakistani government position about the Hakani, which was that they were trying to deal with them but were unable to effectively do so. However the gov. completely rejected the idea that any foreign power help resolve the situation with military actions. They happily accepted billions of dollars in aide from Ameirca, in cash and military weapons. But despite the aide, they could not control the Hakani.

What should the western powers do? Is Pakistan really hoodwinking the west, taking money and other aide and only pretending to fight against this terrorist group? How should a nation respond to such a situation. It amounts to a terrorist nation within a larger nation. The west cannot attack the terrorist nation because it would be seen as an attack on the larger nation. Pakistan sort of has it both ways. (By the way, this is art imitating life also.)

In the series the western countries covertly wage war against the terrorist nation. This allows them to combat their enemies while appearing to respect Pakistani sovereignty. However it isn't optimal by any means. One major issue is that it violates national and international laws. And as mentioned already, when the arms manufacturers (deep state) secretly conduct a war without the Prime Minister's knowledge, then there has been a sort of coup; not to mention a huge conflict of interest. The arms manufacturer wants continual military actions in order to increase sales.

Should the west pointedly tell the Pakistani government that if they cannot defeat the terrorist group, the terrorist nation within their nation, then the west is going to invade and go to war to defeat the terrorist group? If it is stated openly, and if the Pakistani government knows the west is serious, then they can choose to get serious about fighting the terrorist group. OR- If the Pakistani government is secretly protecting the terrorist group, if they are using them to conduct strikes against western targets while claiming to oppose such strikes, then the Pakistani government has to decide whether to face war with the west, or change their own behavior.

It occurs to me that there are benefits to having sunlight on our dealings with Pakistan. Naturally, it won't ever happen this way, for a ton of reasons. Most importantly, the deep state doesn't want it this way. They want to keep running things they way they are now. And the deep state is fully capable of destroying any politician who tries to change the status quo. So I guess it is a moot point to consider a politician changing things this much on his own. (Though I think Trump is trying.) This series is trying to change things though, in my opinion. Simply shining a light on the problem of the deep state, informing the public, is a great thing.