The Presidential debate on the 27th of June was not a debate but some mud-slinging between an old man, literally not fit to be president because of his age, clearly past his physical and mental best and another who is not fit because of his limited intellectual capacity, narcissism and a very long list of other shortcomings and deviant behaviour. Biden lost this so-called debate and for me, on the other side of the pond, I was only able to watch the first half hour before feeling traumatised. Many Democrats, just four months before the election feel they have blown it and guess what, they will only have themselves to blame. In a blog, I wrote in November 2022 that the mid-term red tsunami failed to materialise not because of Biden’s presidency but because of the overturning of Roe versus Wade by the conservative supreme court which energised the democratic base. I suggested that Biden should have announced that he would not stand for a second term and start the succession planning process. If that was clear to me, why the penny did not drop with senior Democrats, Joe’s wife and his close advisors, is beyond me. I believe the Democrats must take the nuclear option if Biden does not step down, firstly bring the Democratic convention forward, like yesterday and announce an open primary. Other than that, the Democrats will be handing the keys to the asylum to Trump and his Project 25, ers.
I emphasised this in my blog called Biden or Burden in February 2024, control and click the link https://grumpyoldbastard870122708.wordpress.com/2024/02/24/biden-or-burden/. From someone who observes the US from the other side of the pond, Democrats have failed in their messaging around the future. This includes huge Federal investment in the Chips Act to reshore manufacturing of advanced chips, the Inflation Reduction Act to scale up the green energy transition, and not to forget the 15 million new jobs added during Biden’s term. Trump added $8 trillion to the US national debt, during his term as President, Biden will have added only $4 trillion.
However, on many accounts, the US could be facing a dystopian future and, the Democrats have failed to articulate these dangers to “Joe Public.” It started with the highly politicised Supreme Court trying to undermine the Federal government’s role in areas such as environmental protection, social justice, women’s rights, and big pharma.
The last Trump term was unexpected and felt a bit chaotic, this time the right-wing so-called think tanks like the Heritage Foundation already have plans to neuter the Federal government, just as the right-wing conservative Federalist Society were defacto the selectors of Trump’s supreme court appointees. The big concern for all Americans, particularly those who believe in a real democracy, is that you need to wake up to PROJECT 25. You may ask, what is PROJECT 25: The Presidential Transition Project?
The whole project is simple and that is to undermine US democracy by embracing white Christian nationalism and create a type of” Hand Maids Tale” Gilead. The far-right wants to remove impartial experts in the Federal Government and replace them with right-wing conservative ideologues who unchallenged, will implement the President’s agenda. I exaggerate when I say the president’s agenda. If the narcissist becomes president, it will not be his agenda but the agenda of the Heritage Foundation and its funders. Their funders come under the guise of charitable foundations that have deep links to big fossils such as the Koch brothers, big banking, big pharma, big tobacco, and white Christian nationalism. In a book by David Kotz called The Rise and Fall of Neoliberal Capitalism, historically many of its trustees of the Heritage Foundation have included individuals affiliated with JP Morgan, Mobile Oil, Pfizers, Sears, and other publicly listed corporates. This is not the liberal elite but the right-wing capitalist elite.
What is the underlying agenda of Project 25, in summary:
- Stalinisation: Using a little-known “Schedule F” to facilitate easier firing and hiring of civil servants ensures that federal agencies will be staffed by individuals who will implement the president’s agenda without resistance from expert career civil servants and take surveillance capitalism to a new level.
- Climate Change Deniers: Project 2025 seeks to roll back many of the Biden administration’s climate policies. It proposes dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency, thus halting the expansion of the electrical grid for wind and solar energy, slowing the transition to renewable energy to a snail’s pace. In effect, favouring the fossil fuel sector.
- Social Policies: Anti-contraception agenda and suggests the reinstatement of the Comstock Act to limit mail-order abortion pills. The removal of federal funding from providers who offer reproductive health services. In addition, it includes measures to restrict LGBTQ+ rights and undermine hard-fought rights around diversity and equality.
- Education and Public Services: The dismantling of the Department of Education, delivering more control of education standards to state and local authorities. This could and will lead to metaphorical “un-American” books being banned, if not burnt. You will see the banning of Critical Race Theory being discussed, in effect extolling the great of American history and burying the bad and the ugly. You will see the removal of the separation of government and religion, in other words, the Christianisation of the State. Gilead!!!!!
- Healthcare and Social Services: A privatisation agenda by reducing the scope of federal social programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
- Taxes: A laissez-faire free market economics, small government, tax-cutting trickle-up agenda, leading to the undermining of social cohesion.
- Executive Power: A significant aspect of Project 2025 is the expansion of executive power. This shift aims to consolidate authority and the powers of the President to streamline decision-making processes. This poses the question “Is the US dictator proof.”
An editorial piece in The Economist highlights opportunities for a new Caesar and states, that the Constitution alone cannot prevent this. There is the use and abuse of the Insurrection Act which allows a president to bring the army onto the street to quash civil unrest or simply, opposition to the federal government. The Brennan think tank highlighted, that by using national emergency powers a president and his administration could freeze bank accounts and shut down the internet. The article also asks, if a Republican party under the control of President Trump, his acolytes, and Projects 25 er’s undermine the 22nd Amendment ‘s two-term limit, a terrifying thought for us all. So, if Project 25 is not an Orwellian project, what is it? Americans need to wake up to the potential undermining of their democracy. So, to all democrats including those not happy with Biden on Gaza and irrespective of the nominee, your vote is the most important in several generations. Finally, to my African American friends and young people who are leaning Republican/Trump, do you really believe that a Trump Presidency will be good for you and your republic?
Shit!!! The Supreme Court on a 6 to 3(6 being 6 right-wing conservative nut cases versus 3 sensible’s) basis has just decided to grant the former President immunity for acts carried out in office. Supreme Justice Sotomayor wrote in her rebuttal “When he uses his official powers in any way, under the majority’s reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution. Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organises a military coup to hold onto power. Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon. Immune. Immune, immune, immune,”.
The King is dead long live the King so, why did the Americans go to the bother of booting out the tyrannical George the 3rd?
Suneil Sharma
3rd July 2024
The Gob 
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