Project 2025 and the Persecution of the 'Other': The Continuing Myth of American Freedom
In the so-called “land of the free,” there is an enduring irony that those who challenge the prevailing political and economic systems often find themselves on the wrong side of freedom. This paradox has been laid bare throughout American history, where each generation finds itself a scapegoat, targeted by those in power seeking to solidify their control and deflect attention from the country's systemic failures.
The case of James Kutcher, a U.S. Army veteran who lost both his legs during World War II, serves as a stark reminder of this tendency. Kutcher, who had served his country at great personal cost, was stripped of his disability benefits, fired from his job, and evicted from his home, all due to accusations of being a communist. His crime? Merely holding beliefs that deviated from the accepted narrative of the time. This was during the height of the Red Scare, a period when the U.S. government, driven by fear and paranoia, sought to root out perceived threats to its capitalist system, regardless of the personal cost to those caught in the crossfire. Kutcher became the first veteran in U.S. history to lose his benefits due to supposed communist connections, a cruel twist of fate in a country that prides itself on freedom and democracy.
Fast forward to today, and the scapegoating continues, albeit with different targets. As an autistic trans woman who happens to be a public school teacher, I find myself in the crosshairs of a new wave of political rhetoric. The right-wing factions in the U.S. have increasingly fixated on trans people as the latest scapegoats for the country’s problems, casting us as threats to children and traditional values. The vitriol is palpable, and it is no longer confined to the fringes of society. It has become mainstream, with significant political figures and media outlets leading the charge.
The most alarming manifestation of this rhetoric is Project 2025, a neoconservative initiative that aims to reshape American society according to a deeply conservative agenda. Under this plan, individuals like myself, who dare to express their political views and live openly as trans people, are under threat. My writings, where I share my transition and advocate for the rights of marginalised groups, could be deemed “pornography” under the broad and puritanical definitions being proposed. It is a chilling prospect that in a country that proclaims itself as a bastion of freedom, my ability to speak freely and live authentically could be curtailed by the very forces that claim to defend liberty.
The idea that each generation of politicians needs a scapegoat is not new. We have seen it before: during the McCarthy era, it was communists and their alleged sympathisers; in the 1960s and 70s, it was civil rights activists and anti-war protesters; today, it is trans people, particularly those in visible roles like teaching. This scapegoating serves a clear purpose. It distracts the public from the real issues—inequality, the erosion of workers’ rights, and the failures of a system that prioritises profit over people. Instead of addressing these systemic problems, those in power find it easier to point the finger at a vulnerable group, framing them as the cause of societal decay.
My connection to the struggles of the working class and the fight for rights goes back generations. My great-grandfather was deported from Scotland to Canada for his participation in the Red Clydeside riots, where workers demanded nothing more than affordable housing, food, and a decent wage. His story is a reminder that the fight for justice and equality has always been met with resistance from those who benefit from the status quo. The struggles of the past echo in the present, as I find myself, like my great-grandfather, standing against a system that seeks to silence and marginalise.
The myth of the “land of the free” is a powerful one, but it is just that—a myth. Freedom in America has always been conditional, granted to those who conform and stripped from those who dissent. The current political climate, where trans public school teachers are vilified and scapegoated, is yet another chapter in this long and troubling history. But as history also shows, the fight for freedom and justice is never in vain. It is through resistance and solidarity that change is made possible, even in the face of overwhelming odds.