Will Democracy Survive

Project 2025

Anni sat across from Father Dunkin during their weekly get together in his parish office, the room filled with the faint scent of old wood, books, and of course the smell of coffee from his Star-wars coffee mug. The conversation naturally drifted toward current events, as it often did, when Anni brought up a topic that had been weighing on her mind.

Anni: "Father, have you had a chance to read through Project 2025, the conservative blue print  organized by the Heritage Foundation for the next republican president?  It's been making a lot of noise in the media lately."

Father Dunkin nodded, his expression turning serious. "I have, and to be honest, some of the proposals in there are downright alarming."

Anni leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a more serious tone. "Trump's been quick to distance himself from the plan, claiming he doesn't know anything about it. Yet, at least 28 of the 38 main authors of the paper were part of his administration. It's hard to ignore the connections."

Father Dunkin: "I did a detailed review of the document, and out of the 735 proposals, over a third directly align with Trump's past policies or his current campaign promises. It's almost as if the plan was written with him in mind, whether he acknowledges it or not."

Anni sighed, shaking her head. "And some of those proposals... They're not just echoes of his past, but full-on reboots. For instance, the call to gut any mention of gender identity from federal policies—Trump's been dangling that carrot in front of his base since day one. It's scary to think how far they want to push these agendas just to win votes."

Father Dunkin leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together. "They're not just pushing back, they're trying to erase entire concepts. Moving the Department of Education's functions to the states? That's another one of Trump's ideas that they've baked right into this project."

Anni: "And let's not forget the proposals to roll back any progress on climate change by eliminating subsidies for electric vehicles backing out of the Paris Climate Accords and increasing drilling. It's like they want to undo every bit of work that's been done to tackle the climate crisis."

Father Dunkin nodded gravely. "It's not just the environment. Their plan to end diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in federal departments is equally troubling. Trump's been vocal about these issues, claiming he'll root out 'critical race theory,' He's appealing to a base of voters that haven't a clue as to what it even means."

Anni sighed, the weight of the conversation heavy on her shoulders. "It's like they're trying to turn back time, to undo progress that so many have fought for."

Father Dunkin picked up a sheet of paper from his desk, glancing over the notes he had made. "What's even more worrying is that Trump, signaled in an interview with CNBC in 2020 that he was open to cutting federal entitlements to reduce the federal deficit."  Later on Trump's campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt  tried to clarify Trump's position on entitlements by saying that Trump was "clearly talking about cutting waste, not entitlements but  when Trump was president, his administration's budget proposals included spending cuts to Social Security, primarily by targeting disability benefits, and Medicare, largely by reducing provider payments. 

Anni shook her head. "But we've seen this play out before. His administration's budget proposals included cuts to these very programs, and he attacked Nikki Haley for even suggesting reforms in the past. It's all part of the same strategy—say one thing to rally the base, and do another once in power."  To top it all off The Heritage Foundation who created a similar policy outline under the title — "Mandate for Leadership" — in 2015 before Trump's first term claimed that Trump instituted 64% of its policy recommendations, including leaving the Paris Climate Accords.

Father Dunkin sighed deeply, setting the paper down. "It's a frightening prospect, Anni. The way these ideas are being packaged and sold to the public is insidious. We have to stay vigilant, keep talking about these issues, and make sure people understand what's at stake."

Anni nodded, a determined look in her eyes. "Absolutely, Father. We can't let them rewrite history or dictate the future based on fear and misinformation."

The conversation hung in the air, both of them fully aware of the challenges ahead, but also the importance of standing firm in their beliefs and continuing to speak out.