Palace Revolt ?

(Palace Revolt ?)

When one is as important as a Roman Emperor, one can imagine the security required to protect the most important man in the Empire. This group was referred to as the Pretorian Guard. However, the Guard was more than just the Emperor's protection, it was also an institution unto itself. Indeed, at times the Pretorian Guard and in some cases, were the arbiter of Imperial power, who would be allowed to wear the Purple. The Guard disposed of Emperors who were two extreme or did not respect their status. The Emperor Caligula was murdered by his Pretorian Guard, who then proclaimed his uncle Claudius, emperor.

A current institution that has its own version of a Pretorian Guard is the U.S. State Department. Within the ranks at Foggy Bottom there has always been a consistent cadre of Foreign Service officers who have an agenda that could be different from that of the current Administration. These are the permanent bureaucrats, those who have been at the Department for years and have outlived Presidents, and Secretaries, from both Parties. This time, there is significant variance with President Biden over the War in Israel. It had been in a letter in which some 500 State Department staffers make their feelings known.

That being said however and in a contrast to the recent pro-Palestinian demonstrations, there was a very large pro-Israel rally held yesterday on the National Mall. The count was close to three-hundred thousand with a bi-partisan display of the House Speaker, Minority Leader, Senate Majority Leader on stage declaring support for Israel. Notably absent was the President and Vice President. Biden was in California for the APEC Summit but Mrs. Harris was nowhere to be seen. had been. That being said, however, if there is an anti-Israel bias within the government, the major portion , it resides in the State Department which is looking for President Biden to push more forcefully for an end to Israel-Hamas hostilities, regardless of facts on the ground.

As had been demonstrated previously, Biden seems un-willing to escalate to a broader conflict in the defense of Israel but is falling short in the demands from the State Department that he seek to unilaterally intervene against the Jewish state. But, what is the basic question ? Are these employees at State anti Israel or are they anti-Amercian as well ? Also, this anti-Israel sentiment is causing a serious rift in the Democrat Party and could be as fractious as in the Republican Party (who just had to pull the latest spending package from the House floor).

It is at this moment that the President is speaking with the Chinese Premier in San Francisco with numerous items of discussion. If Biden promotes his climate change agenda at a meeting that should focus on fentanyl and Taiwan, Biden is still laboring under the illusion that he has any influence over his Chinese counter-part, In that regard, one thing can be certain. Biden will not be getting help from his State Department.