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Episode 70: The Inner Sanctum (WG-SA Part 3)

🕑 Added 2022-09-06 15:26:41 +0000 UTC

Comments

Aaron Good

I don't think it was just an anti-detente group, but that may have what was behind the initial break-in. I wil try and clarify this on the next Watergate episode or put it in the comments for the Q and A session if I haven't answered it at some point. We're juggling a ton here with the book series and 9/11 and Watergate and such....

Cultus Daemon

You called for questions for the Hougan/Scott discussion coming up. I have a question/comment to propose. I find myself in almost total agreement with your analysis and conclusions except that I might be more in line with Tunander's concept of a dual state formulation; also, I have to question whether the primary reason the deep state went after Nixon was because of detente, especially if this is somehow meant to indicate that they believed Nixon was faltering in his anti-communist zeal. I suppose some of the deep state elites could have mistakenly thought that, but, on the contrary, Nixon's visit to China was pivotal, I'd say, in finalizing the Sino-Soviet split. Detente was likely a strategic ploy to pull China away from the USSR (a long-time US goal) and maybe lull the Soviets in to a false sense of security. Bottom line: Nixon was always a faithful cold warrior. On p. 192 of your book you quote Admiral Zumwalt as saying something entirely insane (which perhaps the ultra-right lunatic actually believed): "its own officials [Nixon WH] and experts reflected Henry Kissinger's world view: that the dynamics of history are on the side of the Soviet Union; that before long the USSR will be the only superpower on earth and that the duty of policy-makers, therefore, is at all costs to conceal from the people their probable fate . . ." This is at odds with a bit of evidence that appears on p. 267 where Aldo Moro's widow indicated in a Rome courtroom "that Kissinger had warned him [Moro] heavily: either you stop courting the communists or you will pay dearly for it." I think Moro's widow's statement better reflects the actual reality of the posture of Nixon and Kissinger than Admiral Zumwalt's unhinged statement (supposing he actually believed it). Sorry, this was long and rambling, but could y'all maybe comment on this contradiction? Thanks.

John McElroy

No way you just WGBF on me with a Rockwell reference meme? Outstanding sir! The River City Rocker :) (The "We built this city on rock and roll" by Starship still haunts my neurons having been saturated by that song as well as every Friday at 5pm - Loverboy's "everybodys working for the weekend". This is what I remember about our hometown. Funny the things that stick.