I won't fabricate a Reynolds Wrap Fedora over it, but I "agree" or at least consider it plausible.

That some stochastic oligarchy/cabal of the Executive Branch Federal Bureaucracy, "EBFB" with roots at the high GS-levels, below the Presidential appointment & Senate confirmation level, (or if appointed, came up through the sub-appointment ranks) holds "actual power" in the Executive Branch.

And the power center for THAT probably ebbs & flows, within the DOD, DOJ, CIA, NSA, DHS, and whatever else.

And depending on their intentions, policy, and agenda, the POTUS is some mix of figurehead and a "power sharing" arrangement, depending on how much it aligns with the desires of the EBFB at the time.

Correlation is not causation. And Hanlon's Razor isn't a bad rule of thumb. Plus, a lot of conspiracy theories have their ultimate roots psychologically in that some people prefer competent and intentional evil plots, to simple perpetual random reactionary improvisation.

And, one cannot prove negatives, of course. However, if the EBFB & Figurehead POTUS, were proven "true" to some sort of objective criteria, it would certainly explain a whole hell of a lot.


Of the Federal Government, what does the Legislative Branch posess under it? The CBO and Capitol Police? The Judiciary? Their law clerks and... nobody else?

JFK & Nixon may be the removals of uncooperative Presidents that resisted or acted against the EBFB. Two different methods because they could not keep repeating themselves.

Why the elected GOP Presidents between Nixon/Ford & Trump arguably all had agendas, chosen, or thrust onto them that would arguably appease large chunks of the EBFB.

Reagan - Outspend & outbuild the USSR and confronting them. SDI/Star Wars. Presumably popular with the DOD, CIA, NSA, etc.

Bush Sr. - Himself previously CIA Director. Gulf War I.

Bush Jr. - 9/11, Patriot Act, forming DHS, Gulf War II, Afghanistan, and AWOT all over the place elsewhere.

It would explain why the Clintons could be embroiled in a dozen scandals, arguably bigger than Watergate, all for their very direct enrichment or benefit. Whereas Watergate was somewhat an ex-post-facto Executive Privilege pissing match & coverup over G. Liddy & the Plumbers, that all happened without Nixon's orders or knowledge. And Bill Clinton only wound up with the wrist-slap over perjury & Lweinsky. Then the same with Hillary as Sec. of State and the private bathroom email server.

It would explain Obama's meteoric rise to POTUS even better, besides a mad scramble for "historic firsts" & AA/DEI checkboxing, if POTUS is a figurehead to some degree or another. And it could be why Obama's public statements & "lead from behind," "America steps back," "World apology tour," etc. To the point it caused problems, because every tin-pot 3rd world shitbird dictatorship & ISIS/ISIL saw it all as "weakness," and started more bullshit. Yet under Obama, there was more drone strikes/assassinations/anti-terrorist Ginsu Hellfires shot from Reapers/Predators than ever.

It would explain some of the really overtly hypocritical & double-standard of justice things done against Trump. He was never expected, vetted, chosen, investigated, or in the "bullpen" for the EBFB. Unlike the usual up and coming slate of Congressmen, Senators, Vice Presidents, State Governors, or Cabinet Secretaries & Directors that usually run for POTUS. Trump won an unexpected Electoral College Squeaker. He was supposed to be initially a MSM sideshow curiosity for laughs & ratings, then a chaos-agent and spoiler for the 2016 GOP primaries, then as they got arrogant, the push to get the utterly unlikable Hillary in as POTUS so the AA/DEI checkbox for "first woman" could be crossed off.

And figurehead POTUS & EBFB would explain why it was even thought plausible/possible that Biden, so obviously suffering some sort of dementia & senescence, besides being a gaffe-prone embarrassment his entire political career, could be run for the office.