Project 2025 Part 8: Final Thoughts

Editor’s Note: While the previous articles in this series has been based in research and fact, the following contains my personal opinions.

Over the course of the previous 7 parts we’ve looked at who The Heritage Foundation are, the people behind Project 2025, its goals, how it will achieve them, how Project 2025 aligns with Trump’s candidacy for President and the implications of Project 2025’s Christian Nationalist Agenda.

While some people have brushed Project 2025 off as another fringe MAGA movement it would appear that it’s much, much more than that.

While its contents and policies certainly do pander to the MAGA Republican base that rabidly follows Donald Trump, it’s also something much more sinister: a return to a “traditional family” that adheres to their idea of family and no other, the erasure of trans/minority and LGBTQIA+ identities, and a removal of the separation of Church and State by implementing “Traditional Christian Values” in almost every aspect of American life.

By removing reproductive choice from people while legislating to remove any protections and assistance for them if they’re not part of Project 2025’s idealised family unit they will create a new section of society who are unable to access basic welfare, food stamp programs, child benefits and education.

If you’re gay and want a child? Tough! You can’t go on any adoption register because you’re not a traditional family unit.

Sucks to be you!

If you’re raped and want an abortion? Tough! You need to carry that child to term and deliver it – but we won’t help with health care costs, provide you with welfare payments when you can’t work, give you money for childcare or food because you’re a single mother and not a traditional family unit.

Sucks to be you!

You applied for a job but got rejected because you’re disabled? Employers can refuse to hire anyone don’t you know?

Sucks to be you!

You sent your kid to school and the teacher keeps misgendering them even though you put it in writing you’re happy for the correct pronouns to be used? You’re obviously some kind of porn-pedalling pedo and we’ll gender your kid however we want thank you very much.

Sucks to be you!

You sent your kid to a State-funded school that can’t afford books, equipment or enough teachers? You’re responsible for their education now so home school them or something. You need to figure it out, not us.

Sucks to be you!

I wish the above examples were exaggerations but, sadly, they’re not.

If Project 2025’s policies get enacted thanks to a Republican victory in the November 2024 election your fundamental rights as Americans will be taken away from you.

The Link Between US & UK Politics

Some of you might be wondering “Hang on a minute Katy, you’re English and live in the UK so why does this interest you so much?”. The answer’s quite simple: What happens in America usually finds its way to the UK.

We’ve seen this recently with Liz Truss’ private Health care anti-trans bill^[1]Attitude: Trans campaigner Jaxon Feeley vows to fight Liz Truss’ bill targeting trans children and healthcare which she put to parliament after several speaking engagements in America – most notably at the far-right CPAC conference^[2]The Guardian: Britain’s ‘deep state’ thwarted my plans, Liz Truss tells US far-right summit. Fortunately her bill was blocked by Labour MPs filibustering^[3]Sky News: Liz Truss ‘furious’ after MPs accused of blocking transgender reform bill but this bill was eerily similar to anti-trans legislation being passed in various American States.

Since 2020 we’ve started to see our accepted rights and freedoms being curtailed or rolled back completely. In America, Roe v Wade was overturned making abortion access all but impossible in multiple states and here in the UK the Government are looking into ways to repeal the Human Rights Act from law^[4]The Guardian: Sunak’s bill aims to block UK human rights law to save Rwanda scheme so they can press ahead with their Rwanda flights plan – an act that gives us the rights to basic education, the right to vote and the right to protest. They also introduced unneeded voter ID regulations^[5]The Guardian: Hundreds of thousands face exclusion over voter ID laws, UK watchdog says, rollng out mandatory voter ID which has already stopped at least 14,000 eligible people casting their votes^[6]BBC News: ID rules stopped 14,000 people voting, watchdog finds – and these rules came into force after similar laws were enacted in various US States.

See the pattern?

What Can WE Do About It?

It’s all very overwhelming, isn’t it? But don’t worry, there are some easy things you can do that might seem small but may help to effect a big change, so let’s take a look at some of them:

Register To Vote And Check Your Registration Status

First and foremost, make sure you’re registered to vote.

You might think you’re registered but in the US some States have been enacting laws making it easier for them to remove you from voter rolls and they might not even tell you they’ve done it^[7]Democracy Docket: In Seven States, Removing Voters from the Rolls Just Got Easier.

For information on checking your voter registration status you:

• Check here if you’re in the USA
• Contact the Electoral Registration Office for UK Voters
• Check here if you’re in Canada
• Check here if you’re in Australia
• Check here if you’re in New Zealand
• Please comment below with your country’s voter registration status and I’ll add it to the list

Make sure your details are up-to-date if you’ve moved or changed your name for example and keep regularly checking you’re on the electoral rolls in case they have had a purge and you’ve been removed but not been notified^[8]Essence: Black People Are Getting Removed From Voter Rolls And More Purges Could Be On The Way.

Recognise Fake News

When election material starts dropping through the door or appearing on TV/Social Media don’t just take what you’re seeing and reading at face value.

For example the Conservative party in the UK released campaign materials last year that used the Green Party’s colours and hid the fact the leaflets were in support of a Tory campaign^[9]Byline Times: Conservatives Accused of ‘Camouflage’ Campaign Tactics After Imitating Green Party Leaflets.

Worse still, multiple candidates from different parties even went as far to publish fake local newspapers concealing their policies as “news”^[10]BBC News: General election 2019: Row over use of ‘fake newspapers’ and surprise, surprise, even though the News Media Association launched their “Don’t Be Duped” campaign to call out and put a stop to the practice^[11]HoldtheFrontPage: Industry campaign warns readers ‘don’t be duped’ by parties’ fake newspapers^[12]Press Gazette: Political parties must stop imitating newspapers in election campaign materials^[13]InPublishing: Don’t Be Duped the Conservatives have been caught still doing it as late as 2023^[14]Byline Times: Revealed: The Scandal of the Fake Newspapers Pushed by Conservatives in ‘Dirty Tricks’ Campaign.

Research The Candidate

All candidates love a good soundbite and it’s easy to think they’re supporting the same causes you are because of what you see in the media. But do they really feel that way?

Quite often politicians will praise legislation even though they voted against it. For example, Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) sang President Biden’s praises over his historic Infrastructure Bill even though Tuberville voted against it^[15]Vanity Fair: Republicans are Back to the Ol’ “Have Their Cake And Vote Against It, Too” and Marjorie Taylor-Green (R-Georgia) claimed credit for funds to build a runway extension but voted against the bill as well^[16]The New Republic: MTG Dragged for Bragging About Bill She Actually Voted Against.

Also check their social media as they will often say things online that they may not say in public – just ask Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado)^[17]The Advocate: Rep. Lauren Boebert’s 9 Most Recent Ridiculous Tweets.

Call The BS Out

Think of the number of unhinged things Donald Trump says, or the outright lies he spouts^[18]CNN Politics: The 15 most notable lies of Donald Trump’s presidency. In a world now ruled by “Alternative Facts^[19]Psychology Today: The Historical Origin of “Alternative Facts”” it’s important to challenge questionable facts, figures and statements, especially when certain elements of the media refuse to do so^[20]NPR: Fox News settles blockbuster defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems.

If you hear something you know isn’t true, call it out to the people who are saying it. If it’s being said on TV, tweet the TV station asking why they didn’t challenge it. If it’s a relative, ask them where they heard it and why they believe it before telling them what’s really going on.

We need to start letting people know we know the truth and will not put up with their lies, if Newsmax^[21]Independent: Newsmax host reads live disclaimer fact-checking Trump after 2020 election claims and Fox News^[22]Daily Beast: Fox Host Cuts Away From Trump Speech to Debunk Election BS are now cutting away from Trump rallies to live fact-check him then the plan is working.

Don’t Be Complacent

In the UK 2019 General Election, only 67.3% of eligible voters chose to exercise their right to vote^[23]UK Parliament House of Commons Library: General Election 2019: Turnout and in the 2020 US Election the turnout was 66.3%^[24]The Washington Post: 2020 turnout is the highest in over a century so with essentially a third of voters staying home it’s more important than ever to cast your vote at the ballot box.

While you might think your preferred candidate is a shoo-in to win, with the rise of alternative parties like Reform here in the UK^[25]The New Statesman: How Reform could pose a threat to Labour and third party candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr.^[26]U.S News: The Promise and the Perils of the Third-Party Candidate, votes can easily be syphoned off making it far more difficult to win by a large enough margin – in the 2020 election, flipping just 81,139 votes in key States could have been enough to change the outcome of the election.^[27]The Washington Post: The votes that won Joe Biden the presidency.

So make sure you get registered and get out and vote. Speak to your friends and family to ensure they’re registered to vote too – even if they’re going to vote for the opposition. Democracy is important and we need to ensure that we all take part in it, no matter political beliefs, otherwise we cannot effect change in policy and opinion.

Final, Final Thoughts

With what’s happening with the world at the moment: wars, a pandemic, migration issues, rampant inflation, climate change and a cost of living crisis to name just a few, it’s easy to feel that our voices don’t matter and there’s nothing we can do.

But that’s not true.

Post on social media, engage with friends and relatives, inform people of issues and the truth.

Call out lies and hypocrisy when you see it.

Even if we reach one person, that can be enough.

Let your politicians know your thoughts on policies – we pay their wages; they work for us.

Donate where you can – and if you can’t afford money, donate your time canvassing or manning a hotline.

Tell people about the dangers of Project 2025 – I am sure most of them don’t realise how wide reaching and insidious the plan really is and when they find out, while they might be a dyed-in-the-wool Trump MAGA supporter, perhaps realising that they (or their loved ones) will lose so much choice and freedom should Trump win in November 2024 might be enough to change their voting intentions.

And if we don’t speak out now, who knows what will happen in November 2024 and beyond.

Katy Whitton

Katy is the editor-in-chief of FlippingHeck.com a blog about Self-Improvement, Productivity and Small Business Tips. When she’s not working, she enjoys gaming, making music and Reviewing Things.

www.katywhitton.co.uk

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