Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, published in 1866, explored the theme of morally justifying crime for its greater good and benefit to society. Fast forward 150 years from Russia to the American political deep state, where similar righteous themes are playing out.

Former Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, in May 2017, was in the middle of a Deep State coup to try to remove President Donald Trump from office using the 25^th Amendment. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was also part of the plan, allegedly offering to “wear a wire” to record the lunatic rantings of President Trump to use as justification to nullify the results of the recent presidential election. The latest is that two more Trump cabinet members may (or may not) have signed on to the coup.

Someone from the New York Times might call this patriotism, acting out of a higher moral calling to stop someone unfit and unsuited to be president, an outsider not from the establishment club. As Trump once said of himself during the campaign, he was an “existential threat” to the deep state establishment. “Our movement is about replacing a failed and corrupt establishment with a new government controlled by you the American people.” A clear and present threat to the Deep State.

Others will call McCabe’s actions a coup, a treasonous attempt to subvert an election. Then having failed, ramped-up effort to remove a duly elected president from office, either by impeachment or by considering invoking the 25^th Amendment.

Former FBI Director James Comey, an integral part of this coup attempt, wrote a book entitled Higher Calling: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, a title justifying his transgressions for the so-called greater good to society. His greater good was suppressing justice when it suited him and his establishment peers by ignoring or suppressing the legitimate investigation into Hillary Clinton’s illegal handling of classified email.  This evolved into subverting justice by initiating a FISA warrant and spying -- first on a presidential candidate, then president -- based on unverified political opposition research presented to a FISA court as verified intelligence.

McCabe’s book is entitled, The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump. Again, justification for criminal activity for the greater good -- FBI, mom, and apple pie. McCabe seemingly portrays himself as Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who played an honest FBI agent in the TV series. Instead, the real FBI leadership sought only to protect itself from revelations of its treasonous attempt to overthrow a president.

Enter the creation of a special counsel to run interference and cover up FBI/DOJ evil. After all, they never thought Trump would win the election. How better to keep the dirty deeds under wraps than by blocking any and all inquiry under the blanket of “an ongoing criminal investigation”?

Where is the reckoning for this? Treasonous activities have so far led to the perpetrators being fired, but not much else. This is not a proper reckoning. They write books, make media appearances to promote their books, appear on cable news shows, and flaunt their defiance on social media. None are behind bars or being prosecuted (yet). That seems to be reserved only for Trump associates like Paul Manafort, still in solitary confinement.

The players in this coup are not only McCabe and Comey, but also Clapper and Brennan, as well as second tier FBI and DOJ officials including Strzok, Yates, Page, Ohr, Baker, and others. One can’t leave out the ring leaders of this entire cabal of corruption – Clinton and Obama. Aside from Obama, who elected them? Justice and intelligence officials are unelected and have no mandate to carry out the will of the people. Only Donald Trump now carries that mantle.

The Clinton’s have a long list of illegalities and scandal, dating back to their days in Arkansas. Flash forward to Hillary Clinton’s illegal home-based email server containing hundreds of thousands of emails, many highly classified, ending up on the laptop of sex-offender Anthony Weiner. And available to whoever had access to that laptop, whether the Chinese or the Muslim Brotherhood, the group Weiner’s wife Huma’s parents are affiliated with.

The FBI covered this all up, for expediency, as they didn’t want to open a criminal investigation into their future boss, who the media magpies stated unequivocally would win the 2016 election in a landslide.

How many top FBI and DOJ officials lied to Congress during hearings over the past two years? I thought this was a crime. Robert Mueller sure thinks lying to Congress or the FBI is criminal. Ask Flynn, Papadopoulos, or Cohen.

Where is the reckoning on this illegal behavior? Why is justice meted out based on politics, and not instead blind to political considerations as represented by a blindfolded Lady Justice holding the scales of justice? She also carries a sword, representing punishment. The modern Lady Justice seems to wear a pink pussy hat and holds a tilted scale in one hand and a book contract in the other.

The National Institute of Justice discusses deterrence: “The crime prevention effects of the threat of punishment.” Does anybody in the Deep State truly believe they are about to be caught and punished? Quite the opposite, actually. They are busy repeating their lies on cable news show and social media, writing and selling books with fawning media adulation.

Some say there is panic in DC and that pain is coming, but where is the evidence of that? Are Huber and Horowitz cleaning up the corruption or just rearranging the furniture?

Aside from the Deep State players, the media is culpable as well. Rather than reporting the news objectively, they immediately frame the story to fit their preconceived narrative and prejudices. From Jussie Smollett to the Covington High School students. From “hands up don’t shoot” to the Duke lacrosse team. They have spent countless hours reporting and writing “Trump-Russia collusion” stories, ignoring the inconvenient fact that the House and recently the Senate Intelligence Committees say “nyet” to the collusion hoax, whipping up the public into a frenzy.

The media and deep state actors must be punished for their role in this entire fiasco. Punished legally where laws were broken, whether lying to Congress, leaking classified information, or committing treason. And certainly, in the court of public opinion. Comey, McCabe, Clapper, and Brennan should be treated as pariahs for what they did. Treated as Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, or Kevin Spacey, not heroes of the motherland, lauded over on 60 Minutes or CNN panels.

Think of the time and resources wasted on what Trump correctly described as a “witch hunt.” Obamacare wasn’t repealed and the border wasn’t secured despite two years of a Republican-controlled Congress because of the Russia hoax. The GOP didn’t expect Trump to last a year in office because Adam Schiff and CNN said he wouldn’t. A once in a generation opportunity squandered over a lie, perpetrated by those in high positions of public trust.

The reckoning and punishment must be so severe that no one dares try this again. Criminal prosecution where warranted and public humiliation. Crime and punishment.

Otherwise evil wins out over honor, justice, and decency. A message needs to be sent loud and clear. As President Trump said,

The Washington establishment and the financial and media corporations that fund it exist for only one reason, to protect and enrich itself.

This is a crossroads in the history of our civilization that will determine whether or not we the people reclaim control over our government.

This injustice must be acknowledged and the guilty must be held to account. From the top on down, from Obama and Clinton, to the top tier at the FBI and DOJ, to partisan Democrats and NeverTrumpers, to their cheerleading media.

Crime and punishment. We are at a crossroads. It’s time. If not now, then when?

Brian C Joondeph, MD, MPS, a Denver based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook,  LinkedIn and Twitter.