This morning, I will speak at the Unitarian church in Danville. I was asked to address Project 2025, Here’s what I will be telling the congregants.
_________
I’ve done a lot of research recently into the emergence of the White Christian Nationalism that forms the basis of the MAGA movement. Project 2025 does a great service for anyone who wants to know what life would be like if the 40% of Americans who identify fully or partially with those beliefs manage to win control of Congress and the Presidency—especially at a time when the Supreme Court has been captured by ideologues who are sympathetic to their aims and apparently unwilling to follow longstanding constitutional precedents.
PROJECT 2025 was produced mainly by the Heritage Foundation, but it had the assistance of over 100 other conservative think tanks. (If you go online, you can find lists of them. They represent a longstanding, well-organized and well-funded effort to claim the country for their particular tribe of White Christian males.) Project 2025 is the product of over 400 contributors and writers, including the 240 former Trump administration authors who wrote 31 of the 38 chapters of the 920 page document.
Despite Trump’s effort to separate himself from Project 2025, it mentions him over 320 times, and in 2023 he referred to it as “great work. Our roadmap.”
Those who produced that “roadmap” claim that it would “restore the family as the centerpiece of American life and protect children,” “Dismantle the administrative state and return self-governance to the American people,” and “Defend our nation’s sovereignty, borders, and bounty against global threats.” What that lovely language really means, of course, is spelled out in the details—and whoever coined the phrase “the devil is in the details” might have been referring to Project 2025.
I don’t have time—and neither do you—to go through a comprehensive list of the regressive, and frankly, insane, proposals in this document, but I will hit some of the highlights (or low lights).
The chapter on “DEFENSE OF AMERICA” proposes to “” Restore warfighting as the military’s sole mission.” It proposes to end what it calls “the Left’s social experimentation in the military” by halting the admission of transgender individuals. It would increase the Army by
50,000, bring overseas troops home, grow the Navy and Air Force, and triple the number of nuclear weapons—while withdrawing America from all arms reduction treaties.
Project 2025 would withdraw the U.S. from NATO, and expressly disavow NATO’s Article Five, which is NATO’s mutual defense pact. It also proposes to make our Allies pay for any weapons we might provide them.
With respect to Trade and Foreign Assistance, the Project wants USAID to defund women’s rights provisions in foreign aid initiatives, withdraw from all multi-lateral trade agreements, stop providing financial aid to Ukraine, and institute 60% tariffs on Chinese goods and 10% on all other imports. (Every reputable economist—conservative and liberal—has pointed out that tariffs are a tax on Americans, and that imposing them would cost American families thousands of dollars a year and throw the country into recession. If a future administration actually imposed those tariffs, the economy would tank.)
There’s a lot more in this section, but the effect would be to make the world far less safe, and Americans far less rich.
Moving on…
To the extent that the media has reported on Project 2025, it has focused mostly on the Project’s proposed changes to American governance– especially the plan to replace 50 thousand civil service employees with Trump loyalists. I recently read that the Heritage Foundation is currently “vetting” individuals in order to facilitate that replacement should Trump win.
The replacement of civil service workers, however, is only the tip of the iceberg.
The Project also proposes to eliminate or re-write the First Amendment so that the government can operate on what the authors call “Christian Principles.” Those of you in this congregation, and other Christian clergy, might dispute their interpretation of Christian principles….
The media has also reported on the proposal to eliminate the Department of Education, Head Start, Title 1, & school lunch programs. The less-reported portions of their “education” policies are equally regressive: they would eliminate all diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and post the Ten Commandments in all school classrooms (they don’t specify which version…probably the Cecil B. DeMille version). They would eliminate any books addressing race or gender from the nation’s classrooms, withdraw federal funding from any school requiring vaccinations, and require states to provide vouchers for religious schools.
They’d also arm teachers and defund NPR and PBS.
As I said, I can’t go through the entire list of Project 2025’s looney-tunes and profoundly unAmerican proposals, but let me just reference a few more: they’d privatize Medicare and TSA, and entirely eliminate the EPA, OSHA, the EEOC and the FDIC.
When it comes to elections, they’d eliminate mail-in ballots, and require federal elections to be done in one day, on paper, with stringent voter ID requirements.
When it comes to how their proposed government would deal with what the Project delicately calls “minorities,” the bigotries become very visible. They’d begin with the immediate mass deportation of undocumented persons that Trump and Vance have promised, ignoring both the inhumanity and the practical impossibility of conducting such a massive effort. Other measures they propose in connection with immigration include construction of internment camps and limiting lawful immigration to 20,000 annually—good luck to any of you who need to hire people to work in restaurants or pick crops or any other jobs disproportionately done by immigrants. They’d deport all the Dreamers (who came as children with their parents, and most of whom have never known another country). They want to end birthright citizenship—which I note would require amending the 14th Amendment– and ban Muslims and Haitians from entering the country. Lest you wonder where the homophobia and misogyny come in, they propose to roll back gay rights, invalidate same-sex marriages, and outlaw transgender rights and no-fault divorce.
Given our recent experience with hurricanes, I thought I’d just end with the Project’s ”Principles Guiding Climate Decisions.” Those “principles” begin with science denial. I guess their version of God will protect them…
Authors of the Project say—and I quote– the “climate is not changing and schools are not to teach that it is.” Since climate change is just a liberal myth, they would eliminate climate and environmental protections, eliminate the regulation of greenhouse gases, and defund FEMA. (I will note that both Mike Braun and Jim Banks—currently running for Governor and Senator—both recently voted against funding for FEMA.) Project 2025 would return management of emergencies to the states. (I imagine even Ron DeSantis might now disagree with that one…)
Project authors want to dismantle the National Hurricane Center and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. They would halt all climate research and revoke the Global Change Research Act of 1990. Of course they would once again withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Accords. And they would halt research into electrical vehicles and revoke tax incentives for clean energy.
If even a small portion of this truly insane wish list became reality, the America we inhabit would disappear. Unfortunately, we’d take most of the world down with us.
In my blog, I keep warning readers about the threat posed by a well-organized, well-financed theocratic movement. The small dip into Project 2025’s 900 pages that I’ve just shared should illuminate that threat.
I don’t think it is hyperbole to say that these people hate the America we inhabit. They love an America that existed only in their fevered imaginations. This is a very scary time.
Project 2025 is so much more than the guide to retro-America. It is the blueprint for World War III. Well done, conservatives. You’ve fallen to the wishes of mindless capitalists who want to expand the MIC and continue to expand their god-like adherence to money and power.
I also hear the fetid voice of Steve Bannon, everyone’s drunk uncle, in this destruction of the administrative state bullshit. The rest of the civilized world is horrified that this disgusting wretch could have anything to do with government policy. Then, that’s where the Republican party is today.
I wonder if Ian would like to have tea with Mr. Bannon.
It’s clear that this election is the most important of my life. As much as we like to think of the MAGA movement as the clown car of politics, the MAGATS are being used by the Kochs and their cohorts. That’s what makes this so scary.
This isn’t something they just cooked up. This is the culmination of fifty years of planning and funding. In tfg, they have the perfect megalomaniac and his loyal followers to squeak out another minority win of the Presidency and take over the Senate. God help us!
Peggy,
Correct on all counts. The origin that I’m aware of for this fetid manifesto of Project 2025 began with the dark money star chamber meetings from a few decades ago. “Dark Money” by Jane Mayer should be required reading for every voter.
Mentioned above is again withdrawing from the Paris Accords. (Not mentioned is that that both joining, and withdrawing, have been done by Presidential executive orders.)
The issue of constitutionality of entry in, and withdrawal from, the Paris Accords turns on interpretation of the following:
Article II Section 2 of the Constitution states that the president “shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur.”
Just as I don’t trust Presidents to unilaterally declare war, but favor compliance with the Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 which grants Congress the sole power to declare war, I want the Senate to comply with Article II Section II, and debate and concur by two thirds vote the binding treaty to join the Paris Accords.
Absent this Senate review, there has been no legal entry into this Treaty.
This Paris Treaty has huge economic impact on our nation which is paying annual interest on its debt which is greater than its annual Defense budget.
It is our U.S. Senate, answerable to the Taxpayers, who must debate, and determine whether the Taxpayers can afford to adopt such a treaty.
What is the opinion of fellow bloggers on requiring that the Senate (not the President by executive order) consider this Paris Treaty?
If it’s President Trump, he shouldn’t be allowed to do anything – at all – about everything. Sorry for the snark, but with HIS SCOTUS giving him license to kill, he would suspend the Constitution thus making the Senate and House moot.
Why would I want to have tea with Bannon?
I’m voting Democratic downticket–
I’ve never voted for a Republican. I’m not voting for Harris/Walz. I’m becoming more convinced your job here is to agit-prop and alienate.
Moreover, as Biden before her,Harris intends to strengthen the MIC via treasury funds sent to them for the military conflicts abroad.
C’mon,you can do mu h better than that!
#Gaslightweaktea
Oh my,Mr Evans. That’s too much genuine thought behind your post. This forum seems to be aimed for the political dilettante and pseudo intellectual.
You’ll receive crickets at best.
Not from me, Ian!
Gordon, the POTUS has been increasingly using EOs to implement their policy because the Senate and Congress have become inept and unable to support anything. I read an article last week that this Congress has again set a record for accomplishing NOTHING. Our government is becoming more dysfunctional each year, and the citizens/voters seem to approve of this ineptitude.
As far as I’m concerned, all public radio and media can disappear. They haven’t performed their jobs in years and are a complete waste of the little money we give them.
As for P2025, all the innocent-sounding names of the organizations formed by the oligarchs have baffled the media and voters from both corporate-owned political camps. What’s funny is none of our “press sources” have been defunded or, censored, or throttled, etc. Only independent journalists who don’t accept either version of political party truths. We all know they are bullshit. Jane Mayer and others have pointed out the oligarch’s financial octopus that has stolen our democracy – don’t trust any news outlet that can’t peek behind the curtain to see the money funding these schemes.
As I’ve mentioned a thousand times on this blog, the same oligarchy creating this mess is the oligarchy funding our press and media. Do you honestly think Disney is going to expose the oligarchs pulling the levers behind the scenes? LOL
(((Cue Music From An Old Universal Horror Film.)))
FROM THE SAME PEOPLE THAT BROUGHT YOU OBAMACARE…
Props to Todd 😉
COMES PROJECT 2025!!
Todd,
Executive orders are missile trucks. If anyone expects government to function properly while being unwilling to extend a hand, then what other option is there? The only hope, would be to have a president who is sane, and would not abuse EOs.
Now let’s just say for instance, after the election, DT wins! The Biden administration is still in power. He still has control over military and emergency powers. Remember with the great collapse at the end of the Bush administration? And there was some unilateral EOs that ran across both The Bush and Obama administrations.
So how severe would this clear and present danger present itself? If Trump was the president elect? It could be a very transformational timestamp in American history, for the good or the bad, depending on one’s perspective.
In the stroke of a pen, the president could change the complete direction of government. It could fix the supreme Court, it could fix equal rights, it could fix human rights, it could be inclusive instead of exclusive, unfortunately, I don’t think there are stones large enough to accomplish a complete overhaul of government and then put it to a vote.
Paralytic fear of the unknown, is not an excuse worthy to espouse. You saw what happened when the Soviet Union collapsed and, the powers that be transformed that country into a den of thieves. The same with 20th century Germany. It’s vacillated back and forth for a century or more.
Instead of being enlightened and using the religious aspect of authoritarianism to make an argument against authoritarianism, people continue to Whack-A-Mole. And just like the Middle East, it just makes folks dig in deeper in a fanatical sense. So, no lessons have ever been learned from history even though it points the way for success. And stupidity just continues adinfinitum!?!?!? The answer would be yes!
Ian and Todd, I agree on all your points.
And add that I suspect it was the object of writers of the Constitution to make both Wars and Treaties difficult to enter into.
Imagine the weakened state of oligarchs and bankers if they had to wait on Congressional action to fire up the federal gravy train!
The Republican Party has positioned itself as the enemy of government. In that role, they have consistently thrown sand in the gears of Congress, opposing all actions except those that are completely unacceptable to anyone not on the far right end of the political spectrum. By saying, in effect, my way or the highway, they have brought responsible governance to a near halt. Then they blame everyone but themselves for the resulting dysfunction. Up until now, this has been a strategy that has so bamboozled the general public that Republicans have been very successful in their efforts to drive the United States toward Fascism.
Those who claim that both Republicans and Democrats are equally to blame for this result are simply ignorant of or willfully ignoring clear, factual evidence to the contrary.
The MIC is much more of a threat now than it used to be precisely because of the actions of the Republican Party.
Oligarchy is much more of a threat now than it used to be precisely because of the actions of the Republican Party.
World war is much more of a threat now than it used to be precisely because of the actions of the Republican Party.
Climate disasters are much more of a threat now than they used to be precisely because of the actions of the Republican Party.
You can investigate and debate and rant endlessly about how this came to pass, but now is the time to vote the Republican Party out of existence and give the rational ex-Republicans a chance to rebuild something that makes sense to them.
At the bottom, individuals will carry out the orders of the dictators, no matter if those leaders are political or religious or both. Remember that your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, service people, church members, etc., will act as individuals, whether out of hate, conviction, fear or intimidation or true cult members. It is they and not the dictators themselves who actually do the dirty work. Who will build the camps? Who will identify and round up those “illegals” and “dreamers”? Who will force those captured into another country? What country will agree to accept them? There are already a cohort of those who are willingly cooperating to replace the civil service workers. 50,000 of them.
The devil is indeed in the details. It is happening even as we speak. Take a look at the sheriffs in counties across the country who are a law unto themselve . They have already filled their ranks with like-minded deputies. Elected officials, often with their own agendas, who may or may not have any law enforcement or military training, are answerable to the highest bidder. Arpaio was not an anomaly. Jamie Noel (Clark County IN) is in jail only because a whistle blower finally took him and his corrupt network down.
What I am saying is that those who would willingly do the work, for whatever reason, are the true danger. They will not disappear on Nov. 6th. They live among us. They have told us who they are. Believe them.
A prelude to project 2025 is when Harris wins the Presidential election, popular and electoral vote, that Maga operatives ramp up their plan B that they have been mega funding and working on. They plan to interrupt/slow down the counting of the votes in a lot of states with claims of fraud. If they can accomplish blocks in several states, then they want the House of Representatives/ Supreme Court to decide in their favor. Glad that Biden’s at the helm upholding safeguards with his powers.