Yesterday, I shared some of the disturbing proposals of Project 2025, but of course, a document of nearly 1000 pages includes many other terrifying “ideas.” The New Republic has listed several, gleaned from an advance copy of the book by Kevin Roberts, who captained the Project for the Heritage Foundation.
There’s good reason publication of the book has been delayed until after the election.
Dawn’s Early Light has all the misplaced confidence of a movement that’s mistaken a 6–3 Supreme Court and an easily played New York Times op-ed page for some kind of mandate. The party that has won the popular vote in a presidential election exactly once in the last 35 years is not popular, and people do not want what they’re selling. When your only path to power consists in gerrymandering and shaving tight victories in a few key swing states while the opposition runs up the margins nearly everywhere else, you might try for some soul-searching about why people don’t like you, but Roberts and his Heritage Foundation have instead opted for violent threats, claiming a “second American revolution” is coming that will remain “bloodless” only “if the left allows it to be.”
The book details the Project’s enemies: public schools, China, godlessness, and government regulations are prominent, but the Project proposes widespread destruction of numerous other American institutions.
“Every Ivy League college, the FBI, the New York Times, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Department of Education, 80 percent of ‘Catholic’ higher education, BlackRock, the Loudoun County Public School System, the Boy Scouts of America, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Economic Forum, the Chinese Communist Party, and the National Endowment for Democracy.”
What is the plan to enact this bloodletting? While there are sops to Ronald Reagan throughout, Dawn’s Early Light is clear that the era of small government is over; Roberts thinks government should be the change he wants to see in the world. The New Conservative Movement, as he terms it, will use the federal government as a bludgeon against any and all of its cultural and economic foes, while the small-minded small government folk are derided throughout as “wax-museum conservatives.”
Roberts wants government to force American to embrace his vision of “Faith, Family, Community, and Work.” And–not surprisingly–“Faith” means Christianity.
Policies that encourage religious observance, such as Sabbath laws and voucher programs that include religious schools, should be encouraged. American society is rooted in the Christian faith—certainly public institutions should not establish anything offensive to Christian morals under the guise of “religious freedom” or “diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
As I noted yesterday, Roberts reserves special animus for reproductive freedom, especially the birth control pill–which he wants to outlaw.
“The birth control pill,” he tells us, “was the product of a decades-long research agenda paid for by the Rockefeller Foundation and other eugenicist and population control-oriented groups.” These eugenicist-sponsored technologies, Roberts believes, are the true culprits, for they “shift norms, incentives, and choices, often invisibly and involuntarily,” making us think we want something that we in fact don’t.
Even a thing you might think the pro-birth crowd might like, like in vitro fertilization—which produces babies!—is not good in Roberts’s view….
This technological conspiracy, where every modern convenience from the Pill to the Playstation is keeping us from our God-given duty to be fruitful and multiply, must be fought at every level—from government tax policy and regulation (to encourage stay-at-home mothers) to pro-family technologies (like Tinder rival “Keeper,” a dating app whose mission is to “end human loneliness by giving everyone the opportunity to start a happy, healthy family”).
The article has much more of this insane world-view. (I just learned that Heritage wants to end government’s hard-won new ability to negotiate drug prices, something that just saved seniors and government billions!) But you might also be wondering how these lunatics plan to sell their vision to an American public unlikely to favor their version of utopia.
Pro Publica has answered that. It’s reporters uncovered “training videos” produced for Project 2025’s proponents/salespersons.
“Eradicate climate change references”; only talk to conservative media; don’t leave a paper trail for watchdogs to discover. In a series of never-before-published videos, Project 2025 details how a second Trump administration would operate.
The videos have strategies for avoiding Freedom of Information Act disclosures, for ensuring that conservative policies aren’t struck down by “left-wing judges,” and for “radically changing how the federal government works and what it does.”
This entire enterprise is delusional. It entirely ignores the existence of a robust contemporary culture that would resist a U-turn to the 1950s (or, really, the 1850’s).
Project 2025 accurately reflects the MAGA worldview. Sane people must defeat it in November.
I think it was Mark Twain/Samuel Clements who said “History may not repeat but it does rhyme”. Todays Heritage/MAGA movement reminds me of what was going on in Germany and Italy in the very late 1920s & early 1930s. The USA dodged that bullet, despite Hitlers efforts to build an American NAZI party to keep us out of his war of conquest and extermination.
I’m so tired of it all; tired in mind, body and spirit. It is all in plain sight and has been from the beginning; through Trump’s trip down the escalator to his dangerously active term in office, the lack of quality transition in 2021, the seditious speeches he continues to spout today, the actual treasonous action against our government on January 6th, 2021 which included the threat to hang his own Vice President and kidnap the Speaker of the House, his open digression into insanity in his blathering speeches. “There are none so blind as those who WILL NOT see.”
That old adage, “To kill a snake, you must cut off its head.” They are being bitten repeatedly by that snake and ask for more; “Project 2025” was deliberately “leaked” and the media is spreading the words of warning and they are being ignored. The silent and idle Republicans who know the truth from the inside, including those at the federal level and here in Indiana, will continue to support “Project 2025” from the local level.
We can’t legislate stupidity out of existence but hopefully we can vote it out in November; there will not be another chance to cut off the head of the snake, he is now more heavily protected than our highest level of elected officials. ONE INCH, ONE INCH TO THE RIGHT FAILED. The sanitary pad bandages have disappeared and there doesn’t appear to even be a scar on the top of his ear…a miracle or another of his lies???
It occurs to me to wonder if all this is supposed to be OK for the white population only. if they mean the “be fruitful and multiply” to apply to the entire population, have they thought of the ramifications, given the current demographics of the country? Maybe those white supremacists should be careful what they wish for.
Lately, I’ve been reading some books on Totalitarianism, by Anne Applebaum. One of them is “Twilight of Democracy,” and the other is the newly published “Autocracy Inc.” They are relevant because they discuss the mind-set needed to even consider the nonsense in Project 2025.
Pascal, yes, the new book by Anne Applebaum is really eye-opening. It puts the kleptocracy and autocracy front and center with current trends. How people like Peter Thiel, Kevin Roberts, and the other American oligarchs will use the democratic system to gain and cling to power. Very relevant today, and highly recommended.
JoAnn, our only answer is what you say, we must defeat them at the polls. GOTV!
If “Project 2025” was intentionally leaked, it would most probably have been done in the hope that the ideas it contains might gradually find acceptance and infiltrate, seep into, the minds of Americans before the final, triumphant, victory of the MAGA god-thing; the rapidly deteriorating orange blob with the false façade. He would then be totally dispensable, tossed aside like yesterday’s coffee grounds, barely grieved, and the American Stalin put in place.
Is this another of those “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” times? Not exactly. Slimy creatures like Kevin Roberts and Charles Koch are indeed to be feared, because they insist on government of THEIR choosing enforcing THEIR ideas and philosophies. And, as we can see from “Dawn’s Early Light” and the evil-doers who preach their bullshit, they SHOULD be feared – at least by those who revere the Constitution and all of those who fought for and died for it.
Having just finished reading Heather Cox Richardson’s current blog post, I find myself rather riled up, let me say, about the apparent criminality of those “Good Americans” who want to save the country from the immoral others. Have a peek.
Thanks, as always, Mitch. I’m off to read Heather’s daily blog. Please try not to be ”riled.” Things will turn out for the best…I’m sure of it.
What does it take to shake his followers? I noted that his followers laughed and applauded his comments on Medal of Honor winners. They appear to be as stultifyingly ignorant as their orange Jesus.
the world econo forum,world trade orgs, central banks in other parts of the world are also waiting. that davos meet is nothing more than crushing numbers in back rooms, and seeing how far they have to hold off while we desolve. its orbanian and puntinesque time. republicans do gather around like minds. though putin is nongrata for the time, its said he is the richest turd in the bunch. musk im sure sleeps with xi for inspiration. stalin is smiling,democracy is on the rocky cliff. look into some euro based news and see where some of that money is spent. France almost pulled off the crush there,but,the left wing hung on,and for now,keeps lapens ideals sitting in her seat. shes no Merkle.
Merkle lived thru east German politics most of her life. a reminder of what it can be. keep an eye on euro politics, they like ours are on the edge most of the time. orbans rule is taking stage there as the 6 month president. watch his crap unfold, while the euro seats tamp him down on his putin like talk and so called democracy he rules. the world is waiting,and its way beyond our shores..and could make everything become authortarian…
Project 2025 wants government protection of “Faith, Family, Community, and Work.” How American are all of them? How important are they to all of us?
But the devil is in the details.
Every normal human on the planet has faith in something. We have to do so because human knowledge cannot precisely say what is true about many things. Who tells you the truth? From what perspective do they speak? Will I live through the day? Will the sun rise tomorrow morning? Does this meal contain any pathogens? Does my spouse still love me?
Family. No question, they are number one in my life.
Community. Who among us has not worried about the impact of the impersonal nature of social media in our society?
Work. Who can live without working to pay for everything else in our lives and our families?
None of those things are the purpose of government except for our protection from the abuse of others and their protection from any abuse we might be tempted to inflict on others.
But Project 2025 outlines how to change our government to one that no longer protects us from each other but authorizes the government to interfere with our normal activities in all those areas.
It dreams of automatons.
I dream of natural human diversity.
Sheila says “This entire enterprise is delusional. It entirely ignores the existence of a robust contemporary culture that would resist a U-turn to the 1950s (or, really, the 1850’s).” It is delusional, but it’s not ignoring our robust contemporary culture, but trying to destroy it. The thing, or at least one of the things, that appear to be saving us is that we are dealing with a “Christian” Nationalism, and they are delusional, in that they think that can show their hand because God is in their side so that they cannot fail. These are, or at least are closely related to, those folks who sell all their worldly good and stand on the top of the local hilltop waiting for Armageddon and to be lifted to heaven on (pick a date).
One of your saddest and best. Thank you.
Great posts here today!
Our oligarchy can get behind the Project 2025 wishlist because it benefits them – less regulation, fewer restrictions, and lower labor costs in the US mean profits for the shareholders and bonuses for the CEOs.
Notice that education is becoming worker training and that students have fewer choices. I know the Indiana legislature has already messed with high school curriculum or graduation requirements. I’m not 100% convinced this is a bad thing if done properly with worker-centered programs.
However, I don’t believe that will happen. Just like Indiana, the Chamber of Commerce will become the consultant for our public educational system. If the NCAA has to start paying its athletes and letting corporations run college programs, we might as well start consolidating the number of college facilities right now. Profits will ruin college athletics as they have with everything else.
Oh, and all these Project 25 plans have Reagan’s name throughout the pages because he was the first POTUS to implement the Heritage Foundation plan. He implemented more than half of their plan.
Based on the latest reports, Trump and Vance are looking for excuses to back out of the debates against Harris and Walz. With P-25 released before the debates, I hope Harris and Walz give them a steady diet of forcing the Reps to defend the worst of their plan. Buy some popcorn and soda. 😉
1. Kevin Roberts is the president of the Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation has published Project 2025, a 922 page book available online that consists of 4 parts/pillars – policy agenda, personnel database, training, and 180-day playbook.
2. Kevin Roberts has written Dawn’s Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America. Taking Down Washington was originally Burning Down Washington. The publication of this book has been delayed until after the election. But advance copies are out there; and The New Republic has an article that examines its content – Voters Have a Right to Know What Kevin Roberts’s Disturbing Book Says. TNR has also posted an interview/discussion on YouTube with Colin Dickey and Laura Marsh where they review the book.
3. CNN has posted an undercover video with Russell Vought, a Project 2025 author who was picked to write the RNC platform, who is writing the secret phase 2 of Project 2025 – the directives, executive orders, agenda items, detailed plans necessary to implement Project 2025.
4. And then there are the training videos for Project 2025 that Politico has obtained and posted.
To say Mr Roberts & the Heritage Foundation’s plan for America is delusional is an understatement. With the discovery of the Project 2025 plan more and more people are starting to decide they do not want what Trump & Co are selling. Every freedom loving American will be voting blue in November. Trump & co are good at bullying the Republican party. Which they have had success doing. Now they are attempting to bully and scare the rest of America. We cannot let them scare us into not voting. We must show our disgust at the ballot box. This is Country Over Party moment if there ever was one. We must get out and show our support for our country. No matter what comes about. I am not sure what will happen after we tell Trump & Co ” No!” again in Nov. This is an argument that need to be fought and won. We need to make it clear America is a democracy. This is what our founding fathers created her to be. True Americans are not about to roll over and allow anybody to change that.
I haven’t been to Ms. Kennedy’s e-discourse in a while due to two jobs, aging parents, whack-a-doodle local happenings, et al. Reading through the comments following SK’s column here, I’m happy to see familiar names and relieved to read similar takes to my own. I was beginning to believe I was an island-of-one resistance in the eggplant-burgundy corner of my world. Thank you all for being present here. I will do my best to visit again to reenergize my civic spirit. GOTV!
I find it interesting that the “be fruitful and multiply” command given by God is the source of much of the nonsense the right wing fundamentalists preach about our sacred duty to reproduce. It’s as if that is the only measure of our worth. Our one and only sacred duty. It seems to be a huge waste of the intellect God also supposedly gave us if all that is expected of us is to reproduce like all of the other species in creation. Perhaps these zealots have read less into this than a true reading of the command would reveal. Is this all that a father would wish for his children? The first part of the command instructs us to be fruitful. The meaning of fruitful throughout the New Testament is to perform good works. By their fruits ye shall know them. And we are asked to be fruitful first. Some of us will never have children for many different reasons. But all of us can be fruitful. And being fruitful ought to be the measure of how well we have lived our lives. Not by how many children we have had. Not to say that having children is not important. Children are necessary to carry on the good work we have done. We must teach our children to be fruitful in their own way and how to live their lives in a manner that makes the world a better place for them having been there.