"Who runs our lives? What secrets are governments hiding from us? Are we really being manipulated by a 'deep state'? Nothing is as it seems. When democratic governments are elected, do you ever wonder why they don't seem able to change very much? Whoever we vote for, vested interests seem to prevail. Over time special interest groups, unfettered by legal norms or public opinion, have formed 'states within a state' to advance their own private agendas. Unaccountable and immensely powerful, these 'deep states' have changed the course of history. In this fascinating book, Ian Fitzgerald lays bare the origins and operating methods of the clandestine state. Starting with the oligarchic elites and the Praetorian Guard in Ancient Greece and Rome, he takes the reader on an incredible journey around the world from drug traffickers in Colombia and Mexico and power-brokers in western democracies to the military-industrial complexes of Egypt, Pakistan, and North Korea to show how the system works. Revealing and informative, The Deep State provides an essential introduction to the sinister, secret powers that rule the world."-- provided by publisher.