Can we Talk about Project 2025?

3/11/2024

My premier piece! I thought about this for days.  The political climate as divided as it may be is wrought with misinformation, campaign promises, voters' concerns, policy plans, Supreme Court mistrust and a plethora of division. I could write for days on a fraction of any of these subjects seen through the lense of a liberal, each one worthy of discourse. However, as my mind wanders throughout the day while I perform the mundane tasks of life, one dreadful question will occasionally surface, are we really losing our democracy? Not something most people think about as they're doing the laundry or standing in line at the local Walmart. But in the mind of this self-proclaimed political junkie, questions like this will arise in the strangest of times. And because I consume all that I can that is American politics, in my consumption, I have become aware of a pernicious little plan called Project 2025.

Project 2025 is a 900-page plan published in detail by the right wing think tank, The Heritage Foundation. The main authors, Paul Dans, Spencer Chretien, and Troup Hemenway, three straight, white, Christian men have a vision. A vision that is shared by many other straight, white, Christians, to eliminate American institutions, replace every federal worker, even at the county level, bureaucrats and judges, with Christian Nationalists. What is Christian Nationalism? Christian nationalism is a political ideology and cultural scheme that seeks to combine American and Christian identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s constitutional democracy. Christian nationalists believe God rules the country not the constitution. In that vein, we are no longer looking to the 27 amendments that shape the rules of our society but rely on Biblical writings and beliefs. Laws will be changed and rewritten to accommodate these biblical teachings and if one believes such a law is unjust, who will adjudicate your case? Well, a Christian nationalist judge, who will undoubtedly not rule in your favor. 

The Heritage Foundation have made the claim that over 400 “scholars and policy experts” have participated in writing the policy agenda, which they have titled “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise.”

“It is not enough for conservatives to win elections. If we are going to rescue the country from the grip of the radical Left, we need both a governing agenda and the right people in place, ready to carry this agenda out on Day One of the next conservative Administration."

—Project 2025: Presidential Transition Project

They despise anything that they consider "woke" which has taken on a life of its own in conservative land. They hold a special contempt for universities (education without Biblical influences be damned!), public schools, progressivism, and corporate America. They want to dismantle the government agencies that enforce laws ensuring equality, such as Title VII and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act. They pretend to support freedom and liberty, while promote a total ban on abortion, as they roll back the rights of LGBTQ people and a complete closure of the border, even to asylum seekers. They claim to support the working class while giving huge tax breaks to the rich, no labor protections and a complete roll back of regulations of big business and the oil companies. This would be a complete takeover of every aspect of government by fundamentalist Christians, Evangelical Christians, religious leaders, white supremist groups and many hard-core conservatives. Basically, they would be tossing aside the original tenants of our original constitution and replacing them with a bastardized version steeped in what the authors have claimed would be God's version. Ultimately, changing our system of government from a representative democracy to a dystopian Christo-fascist nation where only the true faithful rule.  But who would abide by this? Who would accept such a heinous plan for our country? It doesn't take much to figure it out. Donald J Trump.