One way to measure the strength of a conservative policy proposal is to monitor the reaction of the left.
The Heritage Foundation’s idea for the next conservative president to run must be good because liberals are hysterical in opposition. And because they directly challenge the size, power, cost and reach of the federal government.
The word “fascist” has acquired a certain cachet for the left much like the smear “racist” once did. The New Republic magazine has illustrated the label by depicting Donald Trump as Hitler. It is designed to prevent people from considering the results of unworkable policies while ignoring or underestimating policies that have a track record of success.
The Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” policy guide (Heritage.org) is full of credible proposals. Instead of allowing the enemy to mischaracterize people, people should read books and see if they are radical or rational.
The document is the work of 400 prominent conservative thinkers and organizations. Some of the proposals will be familiar, like eliminating the useless Department of Education, which given the achievements of students in mathematics, science and reading, clearly failed the exams. Donald Trump said he opposed some of the recommendations, although he admitted he had not read them. If he wins the election, he can be expected to embrace many.
The philosophical basis is explained in the introduction of the document: “The federal government is a giant, a weapon 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 conservative privacy shop to spearhead. This requires collective action of our movement. With the fast approach of January 2025, we have two years and one chance to get it right.
Recalling former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with America,” Project 2025 makes four promises (specific to each):
Promise 1: “Restore the family as the center of American life and protect our children.” This includes eliminating all but two genders, DEI and other ideas imposed on the country by unelected bureaucrats, and national school choice.
Promise 2: “Abolish the administrative state and return government to the American people.” The author explains that “Conservatives want smaller government not for their own benefit, but for the betterment of humanity. But the Washington Establishment does not want constitutionally limited government because it means they lose power and are more accountable to those who exercise their power.”
This brings to mind the philosophy of our 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, who said, “A government that requires the public to make substantial contributions and rewards cannot be classed as free government, or remain so.”
Promise 3: “Defend our nation’s sovereignty, borders, and bounty against global threats.” Are there people who are lying and deluding themselves that they don’t believe we have a border problem?
Promise 4: “Secure the individual’s God-given right to enjoy the ‘blessings of liberty,'” which means “Our Constitution gives us the freedom to do what we want, but what we must do.” Restoring oughtness requires raising the standard of right and wrong, good and bad can be measured. It begins in our schools and universities where most reject these standards with the result that they fail academically and break the law, sometimes leading to campus violence as we saw this spring.
These are not radical or fascist proposals, but what previous generations believed to be the real truth.
Read the details for yourself and unless you are hardcore left, you are likely to agree and vote to restore what we once had, but have lost to our national shame.
Readers can email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).
