Is General Milley a traitor? The Trumpites would have you think so. As a Christian my concerns to this end are minimal at best. Let the dead bury their dead. Let the Babylons and the Babylonians scheme and betray one another. Whatever faction is ascendant – it's still Babylon in the end.
And yet there's a concern here on a deeper level because it
touches on fundamental understandings of the nature of US government. This is
particularly important given the way Evangelical leaders have fused Liberalism
with Christianity and have thus generated a series of extra-biblical
imperatives regarding citizenship, voting, general participation, capitalist
economics, and the like.
The notion of a Deep State is nothing new. All empires have
them. They always evolve. Many err in denying its existence. Others err in ascribing
too much to Deep State forces and many also wrongly assume that everything down
to the last detail is orchestrated. It doesn't work that way. There are always
factions and power struggles within the circles of power – all the way up to
the top. Figures rise and fall, situations change. In the modern media setting
the state has to rely more on spin than it did in centuries past and that
itself is something to behold. But there are real surprises and real downfalls.
It's not a monolith and thus it could be said that the way the Deep State is
conceived by some – it doesn't actually exist. But contrary to the Mainstream
narrative, it does. It just must be understood properly.
Does General Milley represent the Deep State? Was he acting
as a 'Deep State' agent when he telephoned his Chinese counterpart?
These are not easy or straightforward questions but I can say
with a degree of confidence – yes.
As a chief figure in the American military, Milley is certainly
plugged into the Deep State. Whether he is a player in control of his own game
pieces or whether he is a game piece being manipulated by other more powerful
interests or something in-between, is something that can be debated. And it is
by no means static. His power can ebb and flow, wax and wane depending on how
well he plays the game and who his allies are.
The Trumpites have made much of the Deep State and its
actions to counter their agenda and indeed there's something to this. From the
standpoint of one who prays for the peace of the city I can look at Milley's
actions and say – wow, that's something of a relief. On the other hand when I
consider the evil that is the American city and the Establishment that
dominates it, the idea that someone like Trump would come along and smash it –
well, that hardly brings a tear to my eye.
But I hope you notice the nuance. I'm not for a second
signing on with or sympathizing with Trump. By no means. He's simply an acid
that's eating away at the foundation. What he represents is no better. In fact
in many respects its worse.
Do I lament the fact that America's standing in the world has
been knocked down several pegs by four years of Trump's policy? I do not. He
did not make America 'great' – whatever that means to the people who say it. He
made America weaker than it's been in many decades and certainly more
fragmented. The joke is on them.
But he also represented a real danger to civil order – his
undermining of the American system in the lead up to the 2020 national election
was dangerous and it culminated in the fascist coup attempt that he backed on
January 6th. And make no mistake. That's what it was. It's clear the
Democrats and their Establishment allies are terrified. Understanding the present peril to America's
global hegemony (and their own fortunes and standing), they want to turn
America's energies and anger outward toward China, Russia, and the other
nations joining their nascent Anti-western bloc. They fear a true reckoning for
Trump and January 6, knowing full well it could plunge the nation into civil
war – and America would most likely emerge as something other than the
superpower it is at present. America will tear itself apart and when the dust
settles it will be second-tier power.
Milley represented forces that were keen to act in light of
Trump's actions in the wake of the November 2020 election. The occupant of the
White House was a threat to the system and then on January 6, he committed
treason. By all rights Trump should be in prison but again, the ramifications
of a move on Trump are (at this point in time) almost unthinkable. The domestic
situation is that unstable, a point further emphasized by the governors of
states like Texas and Florida which continue to openly defy the Biden White
House – knowing full well that Biden cannot act. It's not due to incompetence
or a lack of will but the precarious situation that is the present US system.
This situation has (I think) kept Trump alive thus far. His death would raise
questions and lead to insurrection and large-scale social upheaval. The US has
not faced this kind of domestic threat since at least the Great Depression if
not the Civil War.
Milley was acting to counter Trump at a very dangerous moment
and thus in some eyes he's a hero. To be honest his actions were neither unique
or all that surprising. Henry Kissinger and Alexander Haig made a similar move
during Watergate. Nixon was (in light of the scandal) incompetent and often
drunk and he had begun to act and speak in an erratic fashion. His mad-man
persona that he wished to communicate to North Vietnam was starting to become
more than an act. His aides quietly contacted the Pentagon in an attempt to
preempt any order coming from the White House. Was that treason? Some think so.
Others think it was treasonous for them not to invoke the twenty-fifth amendment
and remove him from office. Such procedures are proper but not always
realistic.
The same was true with regard to Reagan. Many of us can
recall the discussions regarding his age and competency. It turns out they were
well founded. By his second term he was already being affected by dementia and
clearly was derelict with regard to his responsibilities. His aides took steps
to cover for him and in other cases work around his orders. Were they traitors?
More could be said about Woodrow Wilson, FDR, and some of the
international ramifications of their actions, what they hid, and what others
did to cover for them or manipulate them.
And perhaps most importantly it needs to be understood that after
the Cuban Missile Crisis there has been a concerted effort to keep open back
channels. These are pressure-relief valves, a means to avert war and while they
defy protocol few would question their import and even necessity.
It's complicated. Milley knows that the US is on a trajectory
for conflict with China but as a general he would hate to have that time and
circumstance dictated by the likes of a feckless incompetent like Trump who
cares nothing for America or for the lives of others. The recent revelations of
Trump's response to 9/11 only further emphasize this fact. He was merely excited
that his building would move up in the rankings and status of the Manhattan
skyline. An extreme sociopath he is incapable of empathy and while many
American presidents have been monstrous murderers the potential for death and
destruction under the likes of Trump was hitherto unprecedented.
Milley should (in light of the revelations) offer his
resignation and it would be up to Biden as to whether or not it would be
accepted. It's hard to argue (given the circumstances) that his actions were
treasonous. He's an evil man who has participated in dark deeds and murder. No
Christian to be sure, but a traitor to the United States? On the contrary he's
a patriot. That's not a compliment, it's just a fact.
That said, the episode does point to a clear instance of the
Deep State at work. Yes, that's one of the ways that it functions. One wonders how
many phone calls were made to Milley before he picked up the phone and called
Beijing? That would be enlightening to say the least. But all things considered
it's no surprise and in this particular case we might (from a Providential
Common Grace standpoint) even be thankful that such mechanisms work.
There are Deep State factions aligned with Trump too – a
point his followers don't seem to realise. Again, it's not monolithic nor is it
all powerful. There are forces within the American Establishment that find
Trump convenient – something of a useful idiot. The same thing happened with
the likes of Mussolini and Hitler and their ascent to power. Later some of
these same vested forces found themselves divested of power or knocked down a
few pegs – or even destroyed. They gambled, tried to harness the power of these
energized movements and their demagogic leaders but found it was too much.
Trump has powerful interests behind him in the Pentagon – a
point Milley would know full well and I believe played a role in his decision
to preemptively act. Trump also has powerful friends on Wall Street, the
Evangelical world (which has its own Deep State) and among the very powerful and
influential Israel lobby. Trump played the 'outsider' card but that's always
been something of a sham. He had powerful allies within the Establishment and
still does.
The truth is there's ugliness all around and things have been
especially bad over the past decade or so – and it has gotten a lot worse under
Trump and in particular during the final months of his presidency. And now nine
months into the Biden era, it's getting uglier. The US is fragmenting and we're
going to see an epic struggle for power. At this point in time it doesn't
matter what the truth is – not to the people invested in this. It's a
dog-eat-dog fight and no quarter will be given. The goal has nothing to do with
character or integrity, truth or legality, ideals or values. It's just an ugly
and brutal war for power and at some point the shooting will start. And because
the Church has aligned itself with this system and its struggles, the lies,
deceit, theft, murder, and all the rest are (as we speak) being poured into the
Church. That's why whether we like it or not, are interested or not – we must
(to some degree) pay attention. Theological Trumpism is the current and most
potent vehicle for Evangelical apostasy. The heretical seeds planted decades
ago are bearing a viable fruit – but it is rotten, ungodly and in some cases
pure evil. With Christ on their lips they cry Lord, Lord but do not do the
things God has said. They come in Christ's name but they do not know Him.
Milley is neither a hero nor a traitor. He's a general in
service of Babylon. Take it for what you will. When the praetorians (Rome's
deep state) cut down Caligula did the Christians rejoice? Did they approve of
their deeds? Of course not. But did they lament the fall of Caligula or perhaps
Aurelian? I highly doubt it but that's a far cry from endorsement. All the real
problems arose in the wake of Constantine when all of the sudden the Christians
had a stake in the politics and participated in its intrigues, betrayals, and
violence. That's where things stand at present and that's why so many
Christians (or more properly Christo-Americans) are upset by the actions of
Milley. Their loyalty isn't to Christ or even America anymore. For many of them
it's simply a messianic loyalty to Trump and a visceral hatred of anyone who
obstructs or opposes him. Many of these people have become all but unreachable.
It's been a startling thing to witness. Words like 'strong delusion' come to
mind.
As I've repeatedly said, I do not lament America's downgrade
and demotion on the international state. It's an evil empire dripping in blood
and sitting on a pile of stolen gold. That said, its fall might (in the end)
prove even more destructive and that's nothing that we as Christians should get
excited about. When its day has ended – then it will end. It makes no
difference to us – we who are citizens of Zion. Regardless, we'll praise God
and press on toward the mark. America's destiny is to burn along with all the
other works of men. I will not emotionally invest myself in its ebbs and flows
but I will watch and understand – and try and understand what it all means for
the Church.
I can say this with confidence. The two decades since 9/11
have been an unmitigated disaster for American Christianity. Events that should
not have affected the Church have had a profound and transformative impact on
it because of the heresy and treachery which reigns in Christian circles. Sold
out to mammon and the American Babylon, Church leaders have deeply invested the
Church in the wars and struggles for the American empire. Great evil and
ugliness was revealed and unleashed with the rise of Barack Obama and it set
the Church on a trajectory that resulted in Donald Trump. Christian values and
ethics have collapsed and are in a state of free-fall. The horrific egomaniacal
politically driven response by American Christians to the Covid-19 episode was
exacerbated by these other factors and it revealed the deep cancers already
advanced and at work within the Church. Words like apostasy are taking on a new
relevance. Worldliness reigns in the Church's Trumpite factions and also in
those that oppose him. In every way the world's categories and values dominate.
The styles are different but the substance is the same. Mammon is truly the
American god and the idol of the false religion of Christo-Americanism. The
situation is dire.
Lines have been crossed and I don't see how some of these things can be undone or remedied. It's time to watch closely, pray, and read the Scriptures through faithful eyes – rooted in the eschatological Christ, not the American moment.