[Salon] Project Esther: A Trumpian blueprint to crush anticolonial resistance | Donald Trump | Al Jazeera



(I'm doing my best to avoid complicity, by association, of the ongoing war crimes being incited by Heritage Foundation's Project 2025/Project Esther, and people here associated with that. Project Esther actually articulates that theory of complicity, except projecting it on to opponents of Israel's genocide. No need for anyone here to worry about that, except me, and I wouldn't trust some people here to not rat me out.)

This was shared here a day or two ago, but shared as if it had nothing do with this email list or its sponsor, when so many list members here have their fingerprints all over it, so to speak, as connected to organizations connected to the Heritage Foundation (see list of names on attached files below). In fact, Project Esther is a totalitarian "thought-control plan" that "Thought Control Conservatives" Bill Buckley, James Burnham, and most of all, their fascist political theorist Willmoore Kendall, could only dream of in the pre-digital age they lived in. Chew on that, Traditional Conservatives. I've shared Kendall's writings on imposing thought control on the American populace here multiple times, so I won't again, unless asked. Nor all the writings of his fellow Traditional Conservatives like John East, Samuel Francis, et al., showing he was Lee Strauss's most dedicated disciple, even more than his friend Harry Jaffa (documentation for that too, so Traditional Conservative Trumpites: don't call me stupid for that as some love to do, as it will rebound on you). 

But WILLMOORE KENDALL is the most celebrated of political theorist here, right next to YORAM HAZONY, which speaks volumes of what this email list stands for now given they both promote fascist political theory, though calling it "Conservatism." Which speaks volumes of what Conservatism is, given everyone accepts that. Especially coupled with so much pro-Heritage Foundation propaganda, like here, by a regular contributor to the list: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2023/02/28/how-kevin-roberts-flipped-the-script-at-hawkish-heritage-foundation/

Read Project 2025 and Project Esther and tell me what script he flipped? Other than the more moderate one his purged predecessor followed. 

But here is Project Esther, in its full totalitarian glory: https://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/Project%20Esther.pdf

Al Jazeera doesn't quite do it justice as full fascist totalitarianism. Look to p. 24 for "A Crash Course in Center of Gravity and Network Analysis,"  which is the kind of analysis to apply to a fascist network, as Heritage helpfully lists in the attached file, as I suggested must be done to understand the "Radical Right" New Right of Trumpism and DeSantism. 

Project Esther: A Trumpian blueprint to crush anticolonial resistance


The Heritage Foundation strategy named after the biblical Jewish queen offers insights into the persecution those who oppose Zionism and white-supremacy will likely face in Trump’s America.


Here's legal principle of Complicity some here might fall under. 

https://academic.oup.com/jicj/article/20/1/223/6550370

International Criminal Liability for Spreading Disinformation in the Context of Mass Atrocity
"By drawing a comparison with the way arms suppliers have been found to be complicit in atrocity crimes, Raj Singh has for instance argued that the ‘weaponization of social media’ in the context of mass atrocity should be treated similarly.144 To assess whether the hosting of social media content could amount to complicity, this conduct must first be analysed against the actus reus and mens rea standards for aiding and abetting under customary international law. As noted above, there is no need to prove that the commission of the crime would have failed but for the assistance.145 Instead, it should be established how the assistance facilitated or enhanced the risk that the crimes would occur.146 

Let me be clear; I'm not accusing anyone here of war crimes. I'm only sharing the legal principles of how much further complicity may extend for Israeli genocide and those supporting the Israeli right-wing genocidal regime, meaning their fellow right-wing ideologues of the U.S., and perhaps even reaching into this email list itself. Don't blame me for pointing this out, blame your own complicit selves if this fits. 

To the article above, it must be noted that even though Hans Fritsche was found not guilty at the IMT, this explains that a little further: 
Nuremberg prosecutor Alexander Hardy later said that evidence not available to the prosecution at the time proved Fritzsche not only knew of the extermination of European Jews but also "played an important part in bringing [Nazi crimes] about," and would have resulted in his conviction and execution.[17] Fritzsche was later classified as Group I (Major Offenders) by a denazification court, which sentenced him nine years of hard labor in a labor camp.[1
. . .

" According to British intelligence, Fritzsche was part of the Naumann Circle in the early 1950s, a group of ex-Nazis who aimed to infiltrate the Free Democratic Party and eventually restore the Nazi state.[21]

The "Trump/Vance/Heritage Foundation Circle," now restored?

If anyone does read what the article above says about Complicity, and believes there is a God in Heaven who will judge what they have done here on this earth who they will stand before, you might want to practice Fritzsche's argument, as here. But if it's an omnipotent God, don't bother. You're already judged, and all you can hope to do now is mitigate the crime. 

This article on Project Esther feels like an attack upon this email list itself, with so many here representing organizations affiliated with the Heritage Foundation, as listed in their documents below. So that contributions of organizations represented here can be "appreciated," I did some highlighting as I've shared before. Now, however, as they've achieved power with Trump, even while waiting for 20 Jan 25, they can take a bow! People here denouncing Biden's censorship will get to see how it's really done, through a total, all-of society "KulturKampf," as Claes Ryn lamented Conservatives hadn't done earlier. Such as what Trump, DeSantis (Traditional Conservatives) and The American Conservative's partner, Hillsdale College and its President Straussian Larry Arnn produced, as  "Official History" of the U.S., the 1776 Project. That's in line with Quincy Institute's and The American Conservative's right-wing historical revisionism, which this email list has been party to. 

Did helping Hitler and the Nazi Party get elected, knowing their war of aggression agenda from their writings, speeches, etc., make one complicit in a conspiracy to wage aggressive war (a question that applies to the Democrats as well)? It might. Likewise with supporting Trump with disinformation and misinformation intending that as duplicity, such as false propaganda that Trump would "end the endless wars," when that was self-evidently false to all but the most simple-minded of our citizens. 

So now comes the open war crime of Incitement of Genocide being put forward by the Heritage Foundation, seemingly following (in my opinion) in the footsteps of their close ally Quincy Institute and The American Conservative magazine and their recent sponsorship of JD Vance and Ramaswamy to do the same, at what they misrepresented as a "Foreign Policy for the Middle Class." Notwithstanding supporting and inciting Israeli genocide does not benefit the US middle class whatsoever, though it does the Israeli Settler Middle Class which they seem so close to as National Conservatives. 

Attachment: Heritage Foundation Total-War Militarization of America Plan.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document

Attachment: Contributors to Total War-Authoritarianism .pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document

Title: Project Esther: A Trumpian blueprint to crush anticolonial resistance | Donald Trump | Al Jazeera
   




Project Esther: A Trumpian blueprint to crush anticolonial resistance

The Heritage Foundation strategy named after the biblical Jewish queen offers insights into the persecution those who oppose Zionism and white-supremacy will likely face in Trump’s America.

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Supporters of former US President Donald Trump hold signs and a Flag of Israel as they show their support for the Republican 2024 presidential ticket during a "Caravan for Trump" demonstration in West Palm Beach, Florida, on June 2, 2024 [Giorgio Viera/AFP]

Donald Trump’s re-election as president of the United States marks a shift in US policy – from the Joe Biden administration’s hypocritical denial of American complicity in Zionist genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity to an unapologetic endorsement of all these actions.

Besides bringing Washington’s support for all of Israel’s excesses, crimes and violations out into the open, Trump’s return to the White House will also intensify and make even more overt the persecution of those who dare resist white supremacy and its Zionist incarnation.

Under Biden, those who opposed American-funded and -facilitated Zionist genocide, from university students and civil servants to racial justice activists and authors, already faced threats from politicians, police harassment, baseless accusations of anti-Semitism in the media and relentless intimidation from employers, university administrators and far-right-linked Zionist “self-defence” groups.

And yet, Trump says Biden has been “weak” in countering “Hamas radicals” and he would do even more to shut down anticolonial resistance as president. On the campaign trail, he called for the deportation of foreign nationals who support Palestinian resistance and, since being elected, has nominated pro-Israel hawks to key intelligence and security posts in his government, signalling he intends to keep his promises on cracking down on anti-Zionist activists. For example, Trump named Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor who once introduced a bill cracking down on criticism of Israel on the grounds of “ensuring the security of God’s chosen people”, as his secretary of homeland security.

Another indication that Trump’s second term will be marked by a new crackdown on anticolonial and antiracist resistance came in the form of a strategy to “combat anti-Semitism” titled “Project Esther”, drafted by the prominent Trump-aligned conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation.

The Heritage Foundation has been open about its intention to transform “Project Esther” into government policy under a second Trump administration. It states within the strategy document itself – which was published on October 7 to mark the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel – that it hopes “Project Esther” would present “an opportunity for public-private partnership when a willing administration occupies the White House”.




Created by the same minds that brought us the authoritarian, Christian nationalist “Project 2025”, “Project Esther” syncretises the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish heroine celebrated during Purim for saving Jews of ancient Persia from extermination at the hands of Vizier Haman, with modern day Zionist narratives of defence and victimhood to depict her as a defender of Jews against activists, academics and progressive members of Congress in the US who oppose racism, apartheid and genocide. The strategy paper, supposedly designed to be “a blueprint to counter anti-Semitism in the United States”, includes several fundamental aspects of fascistic thought and practice as outlined by Umberto Eco, such as syncretic culture, xenophobia, a cult of heroism and anti-intellectualism.

Targeted individuals – including numerous Black, Brown and Jewish elected representatives who voiced any criticism of Israel, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer – are collectively mischaracterised as members of “Hamas Support Organisations (HSO)”, part of a “Hamas Support Network” and equated with Purim’s villain, Haman. Through this framing, the campaign targets prominent social justice advocates and progressive Democratic Party representatives as enemies of the Jewish people, using the mythology of Queen Esther to justify their persecution and repression.

“Project Esther” shamelessly states its aims to eliminate anticolonial perspectives from the US education system, limit the dissemination of related information and restrict advocates’ access to American society, the economy and Congress. It seeks to prosecute alleged legal and criminal violations by “HSO” members, disrupt their communications, restrict demonstrations and rally the Jewish community, allies and the American public against anticolonial resistance movements.

With fearmongering rhetoric draped in patriotism and “American values” and the latest Zionist spin on rebranding offensive aggression as “defence”, “Project Esther” institutionalises repression of dissent within a fallacious, fascistic theoretical framework, casting itself as the final bulwark against an imaginary threat of “foreign influence” and valiant protector of citizens from brown-skinned heathen hordes who have supposedly promised to infect white American open society with an anticapitalist agenda. Typically, “Project Esther” ideologues see themselves as heroes, courageously waging a holy war, much to the tune of the Ku Klux Klan’s infamous portrayal in Birth of a Nation.

Calling on “the silent majority” to “break its silence and speak” to “recover its voice and convert its words into actions to render impotent an illegitimate, hateful minority that threatens America’s soul” by, among other accusations, “corrupting our education system”, “Project Esther” weaponises xenophobic trends bolstered by the incoming Trump administration to threaten and fracture anticolonial movements that conscientiously oppose Zionism and white supremacy alike.

Under the guise of combating hate and appealing to a supposedly terrorised and humiliated underclass, “Project Esther” seeks to frame antiracist opposition to Zionist apartheid and genocide as inherently anti-Semitic. However, this exposes Zionism itself as white supremacy and a modern embodiment of anti-Semitic ideology, much like Haman in the myth of Queen Esther, actively targeting Jewish organisations such as Jewish Voice for Peace and the Reformed Jewish movement.

“Project Esther” criticises what it sees as “complacency” within the American Jewish community, invoking the Zionist-manufactured anti-Semitic ideal of a “new Jew” who rejects traditional beliefs that interpret oppression and hardship as divine punishment for sins. This vision disparages traditional reliance on defence as passive and weak, promoting instead an assertive, offensive approach to resistance. In line with this view, Zionists adopt the anti-Semitic notion that Jews have been responsible for their own suffering, advocating for segregation and land acquisition in a new homeland as the ultimate solution.

Notably, fearmongering has long been used by Zionists to encourage Jewish, preferably white, immigration to Israel as a means to restock the Israeli military and combat the Palestinian “demographic threat”. By amplifying the partnership between US white supremacy and Zionist expansionism, “Project Esther” presents a serious threat to anticolonial and justice-oriented intersectional movements across the country, on the one hand, and minorities, including Jews, on the other.

“Project Esther” promises to continue to speed up the mobilisation of Zionists and right-wing anti-Semites, now emboldened by Trump’s victory, to dismantle resistance to their racist policies through financial and academic audits, “name and shame” campaigns and “lawfare”. While shielding Zionist policies and aligning with US white supremacy, the document – riddled with misinformation about “anti-Israel and anti-Zionist Jew-haters attempting to lay siege to our education system, political processes, and government” – reinforces the incoming Trump administration as well as Zionist vigilante groups like the “Jewish Defence League” and their natural allies, American neo-Nazis, to stifle free speech and dissent.

Ultimately, campaigns like “Project Esther” manipulate Jewish historical trauma to promote white supremacy and suppress anticolonial, antiracist movements while gaslighting the public to accept Palestinian solidarity, even when expressed by Jews, as anti-Semitic. This alignment not only stifles dissent to right-wing agendas, it also perpetuates a fascist narrative that promotes violence against those who resist oppression, casting them as an existential threat. This Zionist-white supremacist partnership poses a direct challenge to justice movements, and humanity as a whole, using fear, propaganda and violence to undermine efforts for genuine solidarity and liberation.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.



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