الجمهور الأميركي قلق من "الدولة العميقة"

مبنى البنتاغون، مقر وزارة الدفاع الأميركية

جون في. وولش - (كونسورتيوم نيوز) 21/3/2018
ترجمة: علاء الدين أبو زينة
على الرغم من أن معظم الأميركيين ليسوا على دراية تامة بمعنى مصطلح "الدولة العميقة"، تقول استطلاعات الرأي الحديثة إنهم يشكون في وجود مسؤولين حكوميين وعسكريين غير منتخبين، يتلاعبون بالسياسة الوطنية ويستغلونها أو يديرونها سراً.
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تشكل عبارة "الجمهور قلق من الدولة العميقة" العنوان الرئيسي الذي يضعه معهد استطلاعات جامعة مونماوث لاستطلاعه الذي أجراه مؤخراً. ومع الاعتراف بأن الاستطلاع عن مفهوم "الدولة العميقة" إشكالي لأن "قلة من الأميركيين (13 %) فقط هم على دراية تامة بمعنى المصطلح، عرَّف المستطلِعون في جامعة مونماوث المصطلح للذين أجريت معهم المقابلات كما يلي: "يشير مصطلح الدولة العميقة إلى الوجود المحتمل لمجموعة من المسؤولين الحكوميين أو العسكريين، الذين يتلاعبون بالسياسة الوطنية أو يديرونها سراً".
ثم تم سؤال المستطلعَة آراؤهم عما إذا كانت هذه المجموعة موجودة.
وتفيد جامعة مونماوث بأن النتائج كانت كما يلي: "حوالي 3 من كل 4، (74 %) يقولون إنهم يعتقدون أن هذا النوع من المؤسسة موجود في واشنطن. ويشمل ذلك 27 % من الذين يقولون أنها موجودة بالتأكيد؛ و47 % ممن يقولون إنها ربما تكون موجودة. ويقول 1 من كل 5 أي ما يعادل (16 %) فقط إنها ربما لا تكون موجودة، ويقول 5 % إنها ليست موجودة بالتأكيد".
لا تتبع هذه الآراء الانقسام الحزبي الأميركي. ويشرح التقرير أن الاعتقاد بوجود الدولة العميقة "موجود لدى أكثر من 7 من كل 10 أميركيين في كل من مجموعة حزبية، ولو أن الجمهوريين (31 %) والمستقلين (33 %) هم أكثر احتمالاً بشكل ما من الديمقراطيين (19 %) لأن يقولوا إن الدولة العميقة موجودة قطعاً.
يقود ذلك مدير معهد جامعة مونماوث المستقل للاستطلاعات، باتريك موراي، إلى التطوع بالتعليق: "إننا عادة ما نتوقع أن تختلف الآراء حول عمل الحكومة، اعتماداً على الحزب الذي يكون في السلطة. لكن هناك الآن شعوراً مشؤوماً لدى الديمقراطيين والجمهوريين على حد سواء بأن ثمة ‘دولة عميقة’ من الناشطين غير المنتخبين هي التي تتحكم بمقاليد السلطة".
وبالإضافة إلى ذلك، هنك بعض الفروقات العرقية والإثنية المهمة –وإنما ليس المفرطة- حول هذه المسألة. ويقول التقرير إن "الأميركيين من خلفيات سوداء أو لاتينية أو آسيوية (35 %)، هم أكثر احتمالاً من البيض غير اللاتينيين (23 %) لقول إن ‘الدولة العميقة’ موجودة بالتأكيد".
كما سأل التقرير أيضاً عن مراقبة الحكومة للمواطنين، وهنا مرة أخرى ظهر قلق واسع النطاق: ويقول 8 من كل 10 أن الحكومة الأميركية تقوم الآن بالمراقبة أو التجسس على أنشطة المواطنين الأميركيين، بما في ذلك أغلبية (53 %) ممن يقولون إن هذا النشاط واسع النطاق، و(29 %) آخرون يقولون أن مثل هذه المراقبة تحدث، لكنها ليست واسعة النطاق. ويقول 14 % فقط إن هذه المراقبة لا تحدث على الإطلاق. وليست هناك فروقات حزبية جوهرية في هذه النتائج.
وهذا أيضاً يجعل مدير المعهد يشعر بالقلق. ويقول المدير موراي: "هذا اكتشاف مثير للقلق. إن قوة حكومتنا تعتمد على إيمان الجمهور في حماية حرياتنا، وهو ما لا يبدو قوياً بشكل خاص. إنها ليست قضية ديمقراطية أو جمهورية. هذه المخاوف تمتد عبر كامل الطيف".
كما يمكننا أن نضيف إلى مسألة القلق من وجود مؤسسة استغلالية غير منتخبة تعمل في الحكومة، مسألة انعدام الثقة واسع النطاق في الإعلام، كما يلخصه هذا الاستطلاع الأخير لمؤسسة غالوب/نايت، والذي يقول:
"اليوم، يقول 66 % من الأميركيين إن معظم أخبار وسائل الإعلام لا تقوم بعمل جيد فيما يتعلق بفصل الحقيقة الموضوعية عن الرأي. وفي العام 1984، كان 42 % فقط يحملون هذا الرأي".
ويضيف التقرير: "يقول أقل من نصف الأميركيين، 44 %، إنهم يستطيعون التفكير في مصدر أخبار ينقل الأخبار بموضوعية. وعلى مؤشر متعدد البنود حول الثقة في الإعلام، حيث تترواح الدرجات من صفر إلى 100، كان متوسط الدرجات التي وضعها الأميركيون 37".
يشير هذا كله إلى صورة قاتمة للغاية فيما يتعلق بمنسوب الثقة في كل من الحكومة وفي إعلامنا على حد سواء. وربما ينبغي أن يكون "الإعلام العميق" مصطلحاً يضاف إلى "الدولة العميقة".
لكن هذا ربما يكون سبباً للتفاؤل أيضاً. يبدو أن الناس يستيقظون ويفكرون في أنفسهم. وربما تكون هذه أخباراً جيدة لأولئك الذي يحاولون إنهاء حروب الولايات المتحدة التي تقوم بتحريضها "الدولة العميقة".

*نشر هذا الموضوع تحت عنوان:

American Public Troubled by ‘Deep State’

American Public Troubled by ‘Deep State’

Although most Americans are unfamiliar with the term ‘Deep State,’ according to recent polling they are nevertheless skeptical of unelected government and military officials who secretly manipulate or direct national policy, John V. Walsh reports.

By John V. Walsh

“Public Troubled by Deep State” is the headline that the Monmouth University Polling Institute tags to its recent poll. Acknowledging that polling about the term “Deep State” is problematic because “few Americans (13%) are very familiar with the term ‘Deep State,’” the pollsters at Monmouth defined the term as follows for their interviewees: “The term Deep State refers to the possible existence of a group of unelected government and military officials who secretly manipulate or direct national policy.”

الجمهور الأميركي قلق من "الدولة العميقة" The_Pentagon_US_Department_of_Defense_building-300x189

The Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. Defense Department, as viewed with the Potomac River and Washington, D.C., in the background. (Defense Department photo)

Then they asked whether such a group exists.

Monmouth reports the results as follows: “Nearly 3-in-4 (74%) say they believe this type of apparatus exists in Washington. This includes 27% who say it definitely exists and 47% who say it probably exists. Only 1-in-5 say it does not exist (16% probably not and 5% definitely not).”

These opinions do not follow a partisan divide. The report explains that belief in the Deep State’s existence “comes from more than 7-in-10 Americans in each partisan group, although Republicans (31%) and independents (33%) are somewhat more likely than Democrats (19%) to say that the Deep State definitely exists.”

This leads the director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, Patrick Murray, to volunteer: “We usually expect opinions on the operation of government to shift depending on which party is in charge. But there’s an ominous feeling by Democrats and Republicans alike that a ‘Deep State’ of unelected operatives are pulling the levers of power.”

In addition, there are some significant but not drastic racial and ethnic differences on this question. Says the report, “Americans of black, Latino and Asian backgrounds (35%) are more likely than non-Hispanic whites (23%) to say that the Deep State definitely exists.”

The report also asked about government surveillance of the citizenry and here again there is widespread concern: Fully 8-in-10 believe that the U.S. government currently monitors or spies on the activities of American citizens, including a majority (53%) who say this activity is widespread and another 29% who say such monitoring happens but is not widespread. Just 14% say this monitoring does not happen at all. There are no substantial partisan differences in these results.

This too causes the director of the Institute to be concerned. “This is a worrisome finding. The strength of our government relies on public faith in protecting our freedoms, which is not particularly robust. And it’s not a Democratic or Republican issue. These concerns span the political spectrum,” says director Murray.

We can add to the concern about a manipulative unelected apparatus at work in the government the widespread distrust of the press summarized in this recent Gallup/Knight poll:

“*Today, 66% of Americans say most news media do not do a good job of separating fact from opinion. In 1984, 42% held this view.

“*Less than half of Americans, 44%, say they can think of a news source that reports the news objectively.

“*On a multiple-item media trust scale with scores ranging from a low of zero to a high of 100, the average American scores a 37.”

This paints a pretty grim picture of trust in both our government and our media. Perhaps “Deep Media” should be a term added to “Deep State.”

But perhaps it is cause for optimism. It seems that people are waking up and thinking for themselves. This is, perhaps, good news for those who are trying to end U.S. wars being ginned up by the Deep State

Monmouth University Polling Institute

National

[size=50]Public Troubled by ‘Deep State’[/size]

Monday, March 19, 2018

Bi-partisan concern that government is tracking U.S. citizens

West Long Branch, NJ – A majority of the American public believe that the U.S. government engages in widespread monitoring of its own citizens and worry that the U.S. government could be invading their own privacy. The Monmouth University Poll also finds a large bipartisan majority who feel that national policy is being manipulated or directed by a “Deep State” of unelected government officials. Americans of color on the center and left and NRA members on the right are among those most worried about the reach of government prying into average citizens’ lives.

Just over half of the public is either very worried (23%) or somewhat worried (30%) about the U.S. government monitoring their activities and invading their privacy. There are no significant partisan differences – 57% of independents, 51% of Republicans, and 50% of Democrats are at least somewhat worried the federal government is monitoring their activities. Another 24% of the American public are not too worried and 22% are not at all worried.

Fully 8-in-10 believe that the U.S. government currently monitors or spies on the activities of American citizens, including a majority (53%) who say this activity is widespread and another 29% who say such monitoring happens but is not widespread. Just 14% say this monitoring does not happen at all. There are no substantial partisan differences in these results.

“This is a worrisome finding. The strength of our government relies on public faith in protecting our freedoms, which is not particularly robust. And it’s not a Democratic or Republican issue. These concerns span the political spectrum,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

Few Americans (18%) say government monitoring or spying on U.S. citizens is usually justified, with most (53%) saying it is only sometimes justified. Another 28% say this activity is rarely or never justified. Democrats (30%) and independents (31%) are somewhat more likely than Republicans (21%) to say government monitoring of U.S. citizens is rarely or never justified.

Turning to the Washington political infrastructure as a whole, 6-in-10 Americans (60%) feel that unelected or appointed government officials have too much influence in determining federal policy. Just 26% say the right balance of power exists between elected and unelected officials in determining policy. Democrats (59%), Republicans (59%) and independents (62%) agree that appointed officials hold too much sway in the federal government.

“We usually expect opinions on the operation of government to shift depending on which party is in charge. But there’s an ominous feeling by Democrats and Republicans alike that a ‘Deep State’ of unelected operatives are pulling the levers of power,” said Murray.

Few Americans (13%) are very familiar with the term “Deep State;” another 24% are somewhat familiar, while 63% say they are not familiar with this term. However, when the term is described as a group of unelected government and military officials who secretly manipulate or direct national policy, nearly 3-in-4 (74%) say they believe this type of apparatus exists in Washington. This includes 27% who say it definitely exists and 47% who say it probably exists. Only 1-in-5 say it does not exist (16% probably not and 5% definitely not). Belief in the probable existence of a Deep State comes from more than 7-in-10 Americans in each partisan group, although Republicans (31%) and independents (33%) are somewhat more likely than Democrats (19%) to say that the Deep State definitely exists.

While there is general partisan agreement on concerns about government overreach, there are some notable differences in the level of concern by two very different demographic metrics: race and membership in the National Rifle Association.

Americans of black, Latino and Asian backgrounds (35%) are more likely than non-Hispanic whites (23%) to say that the Deep State definitely exists. Non-whites (60%) are also somewhat more likely than whites (50%) to worry about the government monitoring them and similarly more likely to believe there is already widespread government monitoring of U.S. citizens (60% and 49%, respectively). More non-whites (35%) than whites (23%) say that such monitoring is rarely or never justified.

The Monmouth University Poll also finds that NRA members (43%) are significantly more likely than other Americans (25%) to definitely believe in the existence of a Deep State operation in DC. In a Monmouth poll released earlier this month, NRA members voiced opposition to the establishment of a national gun registry database in part because of their fear it would be used to track other activities of gun owners. NRA members (63%) are somewhat more likely than other Americans (51%) to worry about the government monitoring them and similarly are more likely to believe there is already widespread government monitoring of U.S. citizens (61% and 51%, respectively). However, there are no significant differences between NRA members (30%) and others (26%) on whether such monitoring is rarely or never justified when it does occur. The opinion of gun owners who are not NRA members are more similar to non-gun owners than they are to NRA members on these questions.

“Anxiety about a possible ‘Deep State’ is prevalent in both parties, but each has key constituent groups who express even greater concerns about the potential for government overreach. This includes racial and ethnic groups who still experience the effects of historical prejudice as well as gun owners who fear their constitutional rights are being threatened,” said Murray. “Can those fears be allayed or will they intensify and spread? Or is this just the new normal? This is something we will have to keep tracking.”

Political engagement

More than 1-in-3 (36%) Americans say it is very important for them to get involved in politics and another 39% say it is somewhat important. Just 1-in-4 say it is either not too (13%) or not at all (12%) important. The number of Americans who say it is very important has increased by 11 points since the 2016 presidential campaign – three years ago, 25% felt it was very important for them to get involved. This increase has occurred across the partisan spectrum with over one-third of Democrats (41%), Republicans (35%), and independents (34%) alike now saying it is very important for them to be politically engaged.

More than one-third (37%) say they have become more politically active since Donald Trump took office while only 6% say they are now less active. Another 56% say their political activity has not changed much since last year. Democrats (45%) are more likely than Republicans (34%) and independents (33%) to say their level of political activity has increased.

Just over 1-in-5 Americans (22%) feel angry with Washington while the vast majority (59%) feel dissatisfied. Very few express a positive feeling toward DC – just 12% are satisfied and only 4% are happy. These results have remained fairly stable since Monmouth started asking this question in the fall of 2016. There are few substantial partisan differences in the current results, although Democrats who feel angry has increased since 2016 (from 14% to 28%) and Republicans who feel angry has decreased (from 25% to 16%). Independents have not changed (from 22% to 21%). Among those who are very worried about the U.S. government monitoring their activities, 32% say they are angry with Washington. Among those who are not worried or only somewhat worried, 19% say they are angry with Washington.

The Monmouth University Poll was conducted by telephone from March 2 to 5, 2018 with 803 adults in the United States. The results in this release have a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent. The poll was conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute in West Long Branch, NJ.