Project 2025 Democracy Is Born With Bloodshed And Toil, But Dies With A Thunderous Applause

"Democracy is not a spectator sport." - Marian Wright Edelman

"The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." - Thomas Jefferson

"Democracy dies in darkness." - The Washington Post

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Winston Churchill

"A democracy is more than a form of government; it is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience." - John Dewey

"Democracy is fragile and must be protected. It requires constant care and effort from all of us." - Barack Obama

"The health of a democracy is measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens." - Alexis de Tocqueville

"Elections alone do not a democracy make." - Barack Obama

"A functioning democracy is fragile. It requires not just adherence to the law but to the spirit of the law." - Joe Biden

"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." - Winston Churchill

"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." - John Adams

"Real liberty is neither found in despotism or the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments." - Alexander Hamilton

"Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths." - James Madison

"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." - Benjamin Franklin

"An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one which should not only be founded on free principles but in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among several bodies of magistracy as that no one could transcend their legal limits without being effectually checked and restrained by the others." - Thomas Jefferson

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." - Abraham Lincoln

"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money." - Alexis de Tocqueville

"Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal." - Aristotle

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Winston Churchill

"The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism." - George Washington

Project 2025's Nuclear Policy

Limited Nuclear Umbrella

Project 2025 advocates for limiting the U.S. nuclear umbrella to NATO member nations, expecting these countries to bolster their conventional forces to counter threats like Russian aggression. Currently, most NATO allies meet the 2% GDP defense spending requirement, with a few exceptions.

A New Nuclear Arms Race

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists warns that Project 2025 represents the most aggressive nuclear expansion since the Reagan era, potentially igniting a global nuclear arms race. The plan emphasizes prioritizing nuclear weapons development and production, expanding the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and scaling up nuclear stockpiles beyond treaty limits.

Expansion of Nuclear Arsenal and Capabilities

Shortly after inauguration, Project 2025 suggests a presidential address to affirm nuclear weapons as essential to American freedom and security. Proposed initiatives include modernizing the nuclear arsenal with new warheads, such as the B61-12, W80-4, W87-1 Mod, and W88 Alt 370, and deploying a nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile. Other enhancements would involve deploying directed-energy and space-based weapons and establishing a missile defense system for the homeland.

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Modernization

Plans call for upgrades to the Minuteman III ICBMs, transitioning to the Sentinel system by 2026, and adding multiple warheads to each missile. Project 2025 would also place nuclear capabilities on hypersonic missiles, explore a mobile ICBM system, and expand pre-positioning of nuclear weapons in Europe and Asia, signaling a shift towards rapid nuclear readiness.

Funding and Wartime Preparation

Project 2025 calls for a dedicated funding strategy, directing the NNSA to submit monthly updates to the Oval Office and separate budget requests from the Energy Department to fast-track nuclear projects. Additional funding measures would be supported through supplemental budget requests to Congress.

Conclusion

Project 2025 envisions a robust nuclear policy that dramatically reshapes America's nuclear stance, placing emphasis on nuclear expansion as a central security strategy. While proponents argue it strengthens national defense, critics warn it may trigger a costly arms race, straining diplomatic relations and elevating global risks.