Russell Vought, one of the architects behind Project 2025, believes there is nothing left to conserve. He desires revolution – and to burn down the system
My only counter would be that he's an intellectual. To me, at least, an intellectual engages in critical self-reflection and good faith interrogation of opposing points of view. Vought seems to do none of this which I think places him squarely in the category of a psuedo-intellectual.
Vought sure spends alot of high minded verbiage to convince us there are too many people in America who cherish freedom, fairness, and equal rights and is willing to deport millions of them to make sure the fascist voting majority he prefers will remain so.
"Power now lies with the executive, Vought explains. Not with the president, however, but with the agencies, unelected bureaucrats, civil servants. And these agencies are fully in the hands of a “permanent ruling class” of leftist elites."
It would be laughable, if it wasn't actually totally scary, listening to these soon-to-be "unelected bureaucrats" like Vought, Musk and Rama-smarmy complain about... unelected bureaucrats.
Nice, and essential, reporting, Thomas! To agree with several who have already made the point, conservatism that becomes explicitly authoritarian and revolutionary is simply fascist (as in, the German Conservative Revolution, which was a rough analog of Mussolini's movement). Vought, like many in the National Conservative set, hopes to usher in fascist/falangist policies and tactics, only under a different name (like the European New Right or Meloni's Brothers of Italy). This isn't to say we should all call him a "fascist" in print (most Americans clearly either don't understand or don't oppose fascism). But we should probably understand him through that specialized lens. It's much more dangerous than mere "reaction."
well, the word isn't conservative, but neither is it radical. It is Reactionary. I've never figured out how you can read the Constitution "four square" and come up with a Christian Nation. Bill Gates was brought up Christian. Does that make Microsoft a "Christian Corporation?" Nor can I fathom how trying to make "religious liberty" a reason to disobey laws with impunity is somehow a "bedrock view" of the Constitution. And was not the whole POINT of having a Senate a vision of the expertise of its members in political matters putting a brake on the mob? If "abortion" isn't mentioned in the constitution, neither is "rejecting experts."
Vought is scary BECAUSE he is not an incompetent choice. We are all going to have to learn that (as I've been preaching from the get go) not all MAGATS are dumb, and we have to craft different ways of resisting the varieties there actually are.
Not fun reading but very informative and scary! These fascists have been hiding in plain sight - said exactly what they are going to do and poised to implement the new national order Day one January 20th!
Yes this is unnerving to read. But Vought and his ‘intellectual’ radicals are ‘leading’ from the very back of the front line. Who do they believe are going to actually carry out their radical ideas? All the young white men who can’t lift their heads from their phones? Are they the foot soldiers? That’s laughable. People are generally lazy and they don’t want to actually risk their lives and or even risk scraping their toes. So—yes, scary. But we’ll see.
Interesting thought. As so many Christian Nationalists view all of life and politics as moving toward the End Times, they do indeed have a death wish. In their thinking, all must come crashing down in order for Jesus to return and bring peace to the earth. So, whatever hell on earth must come first, destruction and death, all will finally be well for them. They'll do whatever is necessary to bring about their self-fulfilling prophecy.
Vought is right. They should stop calling themselves Conservatives because they are Fascists. Worship of violence, intolerance of any opposition, scapegoating low-status minorities, and the shameless spreading of lies and more lies.
Holy shit! So the FL GOP saying "slit their throats" and "rid the state of Dems" and "don't Fauci my Florida" are fully backed and funded! I didn't understand the whole anti-Fauci thing--but I do now. So advances in science and medicine will not be considered in the amending of the constitution, so 1850 not 1950? Subhuman. Before Vatican I? Just erase 175 years? Erase us.
Gotta wonder if anywhere in the world will be safe.
That’s exactly what they want. Who is going to stop them? It seems like it shouldn’t be this hard, considering there are way more people who don’t believe this insanity. But who is standing up to it?
Thanks for this, Thomas. It's important to know that the director of the OMB will be someone who, if he could put every Democrat in concentration camps, and then ship them off to be gassed to death, would probably do it. Or, to steal a line from an old movie, he'd do it "and then go out for pizza."
https://open.substack.com/pub/johnadamsingram/p/jan-18-20-resistance?r=1dgcz&utm_medium=ios
Reactionary is the proper term to apply to such people. That is what trumpism is.
My only counter would be that he's an intellectual. To me, at least, an intellectual engages in critical self-reflection and good faith interrogation of opposing points of view. Vought seems to do none of this which I think places him squarely in the category of a psuedo-intellectual.
Vought sure spends alot of high minded verbiage to convince us there are too many people in America who cherish freedom, fairness, and equal rights and is willing to deport millions of them to make sure the fascist voting majority he prefers will remain so.
"Power now lies with the executive, Vought explains. Not with the president, however, but with the agencies, unelected bureaucrats, civil servants. And these agencies are fully in the hands of a “permanent ruling class” of leftist elites."
It would be laughable, if it wasn't actually totally scary, listening to these soon-to-be "unelected bureaucrats" like Vought, Musk and Rama-smarmy complain about... unelected bureaucrats.
I keep thinking about that too.
Nice, and essential, reporting, Thomas! To agree with several who have already made the point, conservatism that becomes explicitly authoritarian and revolutionary is simply fascist (as in, the German Conservative Revolution, which was a rough analog of Mussolini's movement). Vought, like many in the National Conservative set, hopes to usher in fascist/falangist policies and tactics, only under a different name (like the European New Right or Meloni's Brothers of Italy). This isn't to say we should all call him a "fascist" in print (most Americans clearly either don't understand or don't oppose fascism). But we should probably understand him through that specialized lens. It's much more dangerous than mere "reaction."
well, the word isn't conservative, but neither is it radical. It is Reactionary. I've never figured out how you can read the Constitution "four square" and come up with a Christian Nation. Bill Gates was brought up Christian. Does that make Microsoft a "Christian Corporation?" Nor can I fathom how trying to make "religious liberty" a reason to disobey laws with impunity is somehow a "bedrock view" of the Constitution. And was not the whole POINT of having a Senate a vision of the expertise of its members in political matters putting a brake on the mob? If "abortion" isn't mentioned in the constitution, neither is "rejecting experts."
Vought is scary BECAUSE he is not an incompetent choice. We are all going to have to learn that (as I've been preaching from the get go) not all MAGATS are dumb, and we have to craft different ways of resisting the varieties there actually are.
Not fun reading but very informative and scary! These fascists have been hiding in plain sight - said exactly what they are going to do and poised to implement the new national order Day one January 20th!
Yes this is unnerving to read. But Vought and his ‘intellectual’ radicals are ‘leading’ from the very back of the front line. Who do they believe are going to actually carry out their radical ideas? All the young white men who can’t lift their heads from their phones? Are they the foot soldiers? That’s laughable. People are generally lazy and they don’t want to actually risk their lives and or even risk scraping their toes. So—yes, scary. But we’ll see.
This is terrifying.
That dude has death in his eyes. What is he so angry about? Black people in the White House? His balding head?
5th reicher
And here I am, back to this, having just picked up Kundera's 'The Unbearable Lightness Of Being' to find these words:
"Extremes mean borders beyond which life ends, and a passion for extremism, in art and in politics, is a veiled longing for death."
Are we about to be 'led' by a troop of mal-thinkers with a death wish?
Yes.
Interesting thought. As so many Christian Nationalists view all of life and politics as moving toward the End Times, they do indeed have a death wish. In their thinking, all must come crashing down in order for Jesus to return and bring peace to the earth. So, whatever hell on earth must come first, destruction and death, all will finally be well for them. They'll do whatever is necessary to bring about their self-fulfilling prophecy.
Really nice piece on a leading wingnut. Let me summarize:
Some white folk are really, really, angry that attempts are being made to give black and brown people equal voting rights and economic opportunities.
Vought is right. They should stop calling themselves Conservatives because they are Fascists. Worship of violence, intolerance of any opposition, scapegoating low-status minorities, and the shameless spreading of lies and more lies.
Holy shit! So the FL GOP saying "slit their throats" and "rid the state of Dems" and "don't Fauci my Florida" are fully backed and funded! I didn't understand the whole anti-Fauci thing--but I do now. So advances in science and medicine will not be considered in the amending of the constitution, so 1850 not 1950? Subhuman. Before Vatican I? Just erase 175 years? Erase us.
Gotta wonder if anywhere in the world will be safe.
That’s exactly what they want. Who is going to stop them? It seems like it shouldn’t be this hard, considering there are way more people who don’t believe this insanity. But who is standing up to it?
This is what Project 2025 is all about.
Thanks for this, Thomas. It's important to know that the director of the OMB will be someone who, if he could put every Democrat in concentration camps, and then ship them off to be gassed to death, would probably do it. Or, to steal a line from an old movie, he'd do it "and then go out for pizza."