Well, last month’s Presidential election was not exactly what the Labor movement was hoping for.
Suffice it to say, it will be sad to see the departure of the most pro-Labor administration in our lifetime, not to mention, one of the most pro-Labor administrations in the history of the United States.
Nevertheless, we must conclude that it is what it is and focus on the future.
On that note, we trust that everyone understands that the Labor movement may be facing some considerable head winds over the next few years. After all, during his past presidency, Mr. Trump and his administration systematically promoted the interest of corporate America and shareholders over those of the working people and the middle class. Not surprisingly, that administration also failed in protecting workers’ safety, wages and rights. There is no indication that his next term will be any different.
Actually, with the Republicans having full control over the presidency and Congress, what one can and should expect is a major push to enact Project 2025. Don’t believe me? Well, yesterday Mr. Trump just made Russell Vought the director of the Office of Management and Budget. Prior to that he made Brendan Carr the head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Pete Hoekstra, the ambassador to Canada, Tom Horman this nation’s “Border Czar,” and selected John Ratcliffe to be the director of the CIA. You know what all these individuals have in common? They were either contributors to or co-authors of Project 2025. You know what else they have in common? The positions they will hold are ones that affect the economy and the administrative state as a whole.
Watch What They Do, Not What They Say…….
If you do not already know, both Mr. Trump and Howard Lutniks, the director of Mr. Trumps transition team denounced both Project 2025 and its authors and contributors during the run up to November 5th. Specifically, Mr. Trump stated that he found Project 2025 and the people contributing to and/or authoring it to be “absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.” Mr. Lutniks stated that those people (the authors and contributors) have made themselves “nuclear.”
Yet, Mr. Trump has handpicked and nominated these individuals for key cabinet positions within his administrations. If you had to pick a word that explains such actions, what would they be? Certainly, hypocritical and deceitful jump to mind. But we believe the more appropriate word to be is dangerous.
Reasons for Concern
There are many reasons to be concerned. Project 2025 is not only full of recommendations that if passed, will negatively affect the livelihood of unionized labor and diminish the hard-won working conditions that exist at this time, but it also contains radical proposals and propositions that weaken Congress’s constitutional role, and ones that violate current norms and laws.
But that’s not all. Contained within Project 2025 are schemes that will set fire to some of Americans’ long-cherished freedoms and beliefs. Basically, destroying much of what inspired our ancestors to come here in the first place and the freedoms we all cherish and love. But hey, don’t take my word for it. Read it for yourself and tell me if I am missing the boat and my concern is not warranted. Here is a link: Project 2025.
“Those Who Cannot Remember the Past Are Condemned to Repeat It.”
George Santayana
Does this not occur as freakishly reminiscent of the not-too-distant past? Was there not once an autobiographical document that outlined a political ideology? Did not both the press and people of that country either ignore or dismiss that document as rhetoric and musings at that time?
It does. There was. And they did. And we all know how that turned out.
No citizen of a democratic country, as imperfect as it may be, can afford to dismiss this document as merely thoughts or reflections. Rather we need to take it seriously, at face value and recognize it for what it is.
So, what is it exactly? Read it and then tell me that it is not an institutional framework to put an authoritarian ideology in place. Seriously, let me know.
And don’t think that this cannot happen in the United States or that the upcoming Trump presidency will be the same as his last. It won’t. Why? Because this time he is putting in place “yes men” who can actually create policy. And those people are the same individuals that wrote or contributed to Project 2025.
What We Need to Do Now
In order to ensure that:
- Workers’ fundamental rights are not trodden upon, but furthered,
- That that the voice of the working and middle class is known and understood,
- That we move toward a fairer economy,
- That the hard fought for and existing protections of our fundamental rights (i.e., the right to equality, to assemble, to freedom of speech, to privacy, to interstate and intrastate travel, to bear arms, to due process and not to be detained without reason, the right to worship, and the right against exploitation, to name a few.) are not torn down or diminished in any way; and,
- That the strong and the wealthy do not take advantage of the weak or the minority,
it will be necessary that we and all of labor remain strong, resilient, mobilized, undivided and heard. And heard often.
That doesn’t happen by itself. Moreover, it is going to be tough. But you know what they say, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
Get ready to get going!