Our Homework Assignment…Because Knowledge Is Power

abuse of power, current events, democracy, Political wrongdoing 3 Minutes

Rachel Bitecofer is a Democratic pollster. Dahlia Lithwick is a lawyer and journalist/author who writes regularly for Slate.

I’ve been tottering between my desire to spread good news and my determination to not unduly sound the alarm. But the fact that so many people across the political spectrum don’t know about The Project 2025 Presidential Transition Project suggests to me that we all need to be talking about it more to everyone we know.

After all, the Heritage Foundation oligarchs and assorted anarchists surrounding Trump aren’t just “saying the quiet part out loud.” They’re disseminating their 920-page blueprint for all to see.

There can be no question that these anti-tax, anti-regulation, anti-democracy forces are organized and determined to begin implementing their sweeping program to seize and hold power in America on Day One of the Trump administration.

Their ideal federal government does not exist per se. There would be an autocratic president and thousands of loyal bureaucrats doing his bidding. Economic policies would benefit solely the wealthiest Americans. All the experienced professionals who make the governmental decisions concerning our air and water quality, health and medicine, occupational safety, education, etc., would be replaced by those whose only qualification is allegiance to their ideological purity.

BUT WITH OUR VOTES, WE CAN PREVENT THIS DESTRUCTION OF OUR GOVERNMENT!

Joyce Vance, the former prosecutor and legal commentator who writes “Civil Discourse,” a column that appears on Substack, observed today that she doesn’t think they expect many of us to read all 920 pages.

But to make sure they fail, she’s planning a “Book Club” on the topic.

“If you want to get a head start on our serious work, the 920 page Project 2025 manuscript is here. You might also reread one of our recent discussions here. Friday night, we’ll crack open the details of the plan as a precursor to launching what I’ve started thinking of as the Civil Discourse Project 2025 Book Club.”

Please take a moment to open the document at the above link and peruse its far-reaching Contents and pages xi and xii, which contain the Advisory Board.

Here is a paragraph from what appears to be their credo. (The spacing is weird–perhaps because they don’t want people to copy and paste…)

Referring to the Heritage Foundation’s previous input to former President Reagan, they write:
“It’s not 1980. In 2023, the game has changed. The long march of cultural Marxism
through our institutions has come to pass. The federal government is a behemoth,
weaponized against American citizens and conservative values, with freedom and
liberty under siege as never before. The task at hand to reverse this tide and restore
our Republic to its original moorings is too great for any one conservative policy shop
to spearhead. It requires the collective action of our movement. With the quickening
approach of January 2025, we have two years and one chance to get it right.”

These well-organized forces have been at work since before 2023, when they published the document. And based upon the decisions being made by the Supreme Court that the Heritage Foundation “educated” Donald Trump to anoint, the intention “to restore our Republic to its original moorings” refers to a time a lot older than any of us–and far more retrogressive than the vast majority of Americans are in their expressed positions.

These people call themselves “conservatives,” but they are truly radical.

Joyce Vance is planning to go through this massive plan of action, and–if I can bear it–I’m going to try to follow along as she does so.

My questions to you: When you look at the poll at the top of this post, where would you put yourself? And how much do you feel you need to know about Project 2025?

I’ll notify you when Joyce Vance firms up her plans and begins her Book Club so that anyone who’s interested can participate.

Annie

Published by annieasksyou

I've been a nonfiction writer for many years, exploring diverse topics that pique my curiosity, as noted in my first blog posting (Greetings!). I'm seeking dialogue with others committed to joining me in this exploration, sharing my conviction that different views can be exchanged in a respectful, civil discourse where we can learn from one another and be agreeable, even when we disagree. These postings depend for their enrichment on your participation: your ideas, insights, knowledge, opinions, and personal stories.

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42 thoughts on “Our Homework Assignment…Because Knowledge Is Power”

  1. I have heard about Project 2025, Annie, and it’s nothing but very frightening! Hopefully it’ll provide more incentive, as if that’s needed, for all sane voters not to choose Trump.

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  2. I am struck by the phrase “cultural Marxism.” While The Heritage Foundation decries it at length, I can’t see where they define it, except as a label for things they deplore. SPLC defines it as “a conspiracy theory with an anti-Semitic twist.” Heritage says our universities are infused with it, which reminds me of a boss I had decades ago. He told me all university professors were communists. Strangely, I hadn’t encountered any during my engineering studies.

    I don’t think Americans will be spooked into electing Republicans, whether or not they know the details of Project 2025, certainly not by fear of “cultural Marxism.” Like the twelve Manhattan jurors, I think Americans will get it right.

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    2. I agree, William. I do expect a Blue Wave in November.

      I included the paragraph including “cultural Marxism” because it shows how radical these people are. Thx for including the SPLC reference. Though I didn’t know about the “anti-Semitic twist,” I’m not surprised. These are an amalgam of Leonard Leo radical Catholics and white Christian nationalists.

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      2. You’re welcome, Jill. I try to focus on the good news. One thing that’s happening out of the public eye is a daily effort on Twitter among people who have tens/hundreds of thousands of followers to “boost” fellow resisters with fewer followers who are enthusiastic Biden/Harris supporters (some who say they’re former Republicans). “Stronger Together” is the mantra. Evil Elon does what he likes, but he hasn’t interfered with what seems to be a growing trend as November approaches.

        I am also cheered by the work of people like Sarah Longwell, one of the founders of The Bulwark and Republican Voters Against Trump. (RVAT). Immediately after Trump’s conviction, her organization put up billboards in the swing states with pictures of former Trump voters stating “I won’t vote for a criminal.” She does focus groups and says Trump’s conviction is definitely making a difference.

        I just watched Simon Rosenberg interviewing one of the twelve Democrats his community is supporting who, if successful in flipping seats from red to blue, would ensure Hakeem Jeffries becomes the speaker of the House. This woman, Kristen Engels, is an environmental attorney and mom who’s served in the Arizona state house and senate. Her incumbent opponent is a guy who’s voted MAGA while keeping a low profile. She said when she knocks on doors, she hears most about reproductive rights and fury that AZ had that 1864 law for a while. People are highly motivated, she said.

        As Robert Hubbell says: “We have every reason to be hopeful, but no reason to be complacent.”

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      3. Robert Hubbell’s quote says it all! Yes, I am hopeful (though some days that is difficult) but never complacent. ‘Tis why I spend 80% of my waking time reading, researching, and writing this blog to hopefully reach just a few people who might not understand the issues, or might need just a bit of encouragement to get out there and vote! I do follow The Bulwark and Sarah Longwell and applaud all they are doing. Let us hope that on November 5th it will have paid off in spades! How I would love to see Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker of the House! And President Biden staying in the Oval Office. And Chuck Schumer still the Senate Majority Leader … surely it’s not all too much to ask!

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    3. On the right, “Marxist” and “communist” have become generic catch-all epithets which in practice mean nothing more than “we don’t like that” (rather like the way “fascist” and “racist” are now used by much of the left). Since Marxism and communism are actually economic terms, and a lot of the things the wingnuts dislike (feminism, homosexuality, atheism, vaccine mandates, etc, etc, etc) have nothing to do with economics, they’ve started using the term “cultural Marxism” so they can apply it to all those non-economic “bad” things as well.

      It really is not any more complicated than that. This is my assessment based on reading lots of right-wing blogs where the term is used all the time.

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      1. Nevertheless, Heritage goes to great lengths to make cultural Marxism a thing with deep historical roots much as they did with “Austrian economics.” That history is what links cultural Marxism with antisemitism. Voters are unlikely to give a hoot about theories of cultural Marxism.

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      3. I think both things can be true, Infidel. There can be lots of right wingers using the terminology loosely, while the Project 2025ers have a distinct and dangerous philosophy in mind.

        Just as many Americans use the term fascism loosely, there are highly respected students of history such as Timothy Snyder and Ruth Ben-Ghiat who warn us of the dangers we face here in America now.

        As I know you are also a student of history, can you clarify for me whether it’s the terminology that you find unworthy of much concern or the entire Project 2025 effort—or both? Or have I misunderstood?

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      4. can you clarify for me whether it’s the terminology that you find unworthy of much concern or the entire Project 2025 effort—or both?

        Neither. I was just clarifying what, in my experience, right-wingers mean by the term “cultural Marxism”, since Whungerford said he was struck by the way the Heritage Foundation uses it as an epithet but refuses to define it. I was not expressing an opinion about whether this right-wing sloppy use of words is of concern or not — nor did I express an opinion about (or even mention) Project 2025, though I’m aware of it and glad to hear that the people you discuss are working to expose it. I wasn’t addressing anything at all except how right-wingers use the term “cultural Marxism”.

        The fact that Project 2025 has “a distinct and dangerous philosophy” does not conflict with the fact that they use a deliberately vague, sloppy, and inaccurate phrase to describe the supposed stance of their enemies. Smearing one’s opponents with vague but evil-sounding words is a classic tactic of militant ideologists.

        And yes, there are plenty of people on the left who sling the term “fascist” at anything and anybody they dislike, regardless of whether the latter have any resemblance to actual historical fascism or not. The fact that some other people on the left use the term “fascist” accurately does not contradict this.

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  3. From ALEC to PNAC to Project 2025, it’s all (again) about propaganda, misleading voters, and putting Republicans in power and keeping them there, regardless of the will of the people. They’re certainly not looking out for the best interest of the nations or its citizens. Just the wealthy and powerful. Revolting. So many of them now seem to lack morals and have become twisted caricatures of James Bond villains. Cheers

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    1. Yes, indeed, it’s all on a continuum going back decades, Michael. But now there’s an entire political party dancing to these loony tunes. And the characters behind all this are more knowledgeable about government than the Trump One gang, who also included a sprinkling of traditionalists who held Trump back. So I think the Project 2025 zealots require careful scrutiny from voters.

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    1. This is an excellent, albeit lengthy, article. Thanks for linking to it, Michael.

      John Kerry said: “The consequences of Project 2025, if they were implemented, would be absolutely unimaginable and destructive.”

      His focus is of course on the climate. I hope his message—including his praise for Biden’s substantial accomplishments in this critical field—reaches lots and lots of young people, among others.

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  5. Annie –

    Thanks for doing this.

    The part of Project 2025 —As Michael hints at— is that it is not dependent on re-electing TFG. It can sit on a shelf (like the PNC did) until a suitable Republican comes along.

    We’re stuck in a kind of Dead Man’s Switch scenario. We have to keep fighting the fascists less the plan becomes activated sometime in the future. It’s a generational threat they’ve set up.

    Regards,

    Tengrain

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    1. Absolutely, tengrain. I started to write something about this being an ongoing battle but wanted to focus on the NOW. Leonard Leo and his ilk have been damaging US for decades, and they’ve got lots of young recruits signing up. Thx.

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  6. Not worth worrying about. There is always the threat of the Crazy Eddie who’s only thoughts are “how can I make this worse”. From what I’ve got so far is that it is almost a how to manual to better government. The manual says what? Great! Don’t do that.

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    1. Maybe not worry, Richard. But good to know about. We’ve learned from Trump that our civil society depends on acceptance and practice of norms that he and his minions have trampled. We need time to put some genuine guardrails in place.

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      1. Very good to know. Good to know the people who believe these to be good ideas. I have ideas about good and evil 😉Hard to find the weak link in a stressed but unbroken chain. A short distance and a decade ago during an Ohio sleet storm several people unaware that 55 mph is a suggestion continued to go south even though the drivers needed to go west. A state trooper arrived and proceeded to gather people to safety. Now I myself have gone around that curve often in excess of 70 mph but you must stay situationally aware. Engineers are not stupid. That curve is completely guarded by rails specifically designed to keep cars from crossing the medium. Some fool rode that rail for over a 1/4 mile and killed the trooper and 5 others.

        “A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.”HGG

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      2. Probably nothing foolproof, Richard, but I like your phrase “you must stay situationally aware.” That’s what I’m hoping we’re all doing here. And despite your tragic story, I hear about members of Congress (who happen to be Democrats) seeking ways to strengthen the institutional guardrails in ways that hasn’t been done to date. It’s up to us to keep the complete fools out of elective office.

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  7. I am shocked by how few people even know anything about Project 2025 when it has been spoken of so much over the past year or so. Do people truly have their heads buried somewhere in the sand??? My ears perked the first time I heard about it, and since then I have read just over half of it (it is not good bedtime reading!) I was happy when I heard about Joyce Vance’s upcoming project, for I know she will do a good job of it and I definitely plan to follow every one of them! We need to find a way to wake up the 76% who don’t even know what is planned! Or perhaps they just don’t care? Sigh.

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    1. It is astonishing to realize how many people are detached from these issues that would eventually affect them in negative ways.

      We just have to do what we can. I’m impressed that you’ve read more than half of it!

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      1. I don’t get it … at all!!! How … HOW can one not even bother to sit up and take notice??? They seem to think that their little lives won’t be affected by the outcome! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr …

        Yes, it’s not easy reading, so I have to take a break every few pages, but I’m muddling through it! I’m also looking forward to Joyce Vance’s series on it to help put it all into perspective!

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  8. I’ve heard a WHOLE LOT about it. But since most people don’t pay attention or they’re watching FOX News or even one of the other news outlets that report the news like it’s a political soap opera, I’m not surprised.

    & here in Buffalo, most people pay more attention to sports than anything else. Maybe that’s a good thing. I don’t know. But as life gets increasingly tough on all levels, sports is a good escape.

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    1. I think most Americans aren’t engaged at this point, Polly, and yes, there’s also a lot of Fox-induced amnesia. Apart from his cult, the more Trump is out in public saying his incoherent and narcissistic crap, the better it will be. It’s probably healthy that people are engaged in watching sports, though I guess some of the antagonism from politics finds its way into sports too.

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      1. Oh yeah. Around here, most people are into the Yankees but there’s a bunch of us who are into the Red Sox or maybe the Toronto Blue Jays or even the NY Mets but the Yankee fans are like trumpsters, just real jerks. Most of them don’t even really follow baseball, they just wear the Yankees hat & give the rest of us grief. I’m constantly amazed at how people just can’t be polite about ANYTHING anymore.

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  9. Whether or not it is prominent in the Project 2025 documents, Heritage is concerned about public opinion. An attack on PBS and NPR for giving insufficient emphasis to their ideas is an example, which is in the Project 2025 document. They fear that people might not share their values. They fear that schools aren’t teaching as they would have it, and would put a stop to it. E.B. White wrote in 1935: “If it is controlled, it isn’t opinion.” As many of our elected Representatives often do, they would tell us what to think.

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    1. William, have you read all 920 pages? Yes, it’s clear that this segment of society does not accept the “live and let live” philosophy. Leonard Leo appears to me to be the guiding force behind this effort, the radical Supreme Court majority, and various other attempts to remake America into their very far right, very Christian ideal.

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      3. I haven’t read all 920 pages; I have examined it. I see that the authors would infiltrate and capture our government, much as the former president has captured the Republican Party, by compelling conformity with their views. I noted Pillar I, which would make Project 2025 a new American Creed, instituting a radical view of how major federal agencies must be governed and, where disagreement (presumably among themselves) exists, deferring to whatever their leader says. They decry a lack of freedom in N. Korea, but would remake our government on the N. Korean model.

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  10. Annie, thanks for stressing the point that today’s Trumpists are right-wing radicals, not conservatives. It continues to frustrate me that many prominent publications, including The NY Times, continue to refer to Trump’s toadies as conservatives, when the main things they aim to conserve are ways to make wealthy people wealthier.

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  11. I just saw that John Oliver has a opinion on the Project 2025. Seems one contributor runs a conservative dating site and posts tic tocks of himself eating alone. Fiction could not have created someone this oblivious. I wonder if I’ll be allowed to dance in hell?

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