“Beware the Fanatics”
“Beware the Fanatics”
Every Strongman Regime Has Them, Just Look and You Will Find Them
Words I Will Always Remember
Someone once said something to me I have never forgotten. Their words were: “Beware of the fanatics.”
The context in which they said these words to me was straight forward. They were describing those who had ascended to, or clearly had ambitions to ascend, to a position of power, sway, influence, control, and leadership in the public square.
For the person speaking these words to me, their words of warning had for them a clear description and meaning attached to it. A fanatic to them was someone in government, religion, or any of the other major spheres of society that pursued a specific major outcome with great zeal. It was such fervent zeal that it allowed the fanatic to justify not only their extreme beliefs and ideas, but to justify them in a way that legitimized the outcome they were pursuing, as well as whatever the cost was for attaining it.
Put simply, the message was- be watchful, keep your eye on these people. They are dangerous.
“I’m a Huge Fan”
We often hear the term “fan” and the phrase “I’m a huge fan” used in everyday conversation and observation. It is a positive statement, an endorsement of any number of things. It might be an athlete, an elected official, a businessperson, movie star, musician, a pastor or priest, and on and on. It could be a group of people that we are fans of, but it also could be a “thing,” such as a type of cuisine or a particular restaurant, or possibly a sports team. The list of things we can be “fans” of is almost endless, depending on our experiences, interests, and the individuals we encounter.
Conversely, we often hear the reverse- that someone is not a fan of someone or something. When we hear that, we understand its negative connotation, that disapproval is being expressed. We get the drift. They have reservations. Since the terms are obviously related, and in fact the term fan is a shortened version of the word fanatic, where did the term “fanatic” come from?
Fanatics’ Origins
Merriam-Webster (Merriam) has a good bit to say about where the term fanatic came from:
“The Latin adjective fanaticus, a derivative of the noun fanum, meaning “temple,” originally meant “of or relating to a temple.” … This was the first meaning of the English word fanatic. This sense is now obsolete, but it led to the meaning “excessively enthusiastic, especially about religious matters.” The word later became less specific, meaning simply “excessively enthusiastic or unreasonable.” The noun fan, meaning “enthusiast,” is probably a shortening of fanatic.”[1]
Its meaning has ebbed and flowed since it first emanated from the ancient Greco-Roman world, but the term fanaticism began as a neutral, “purely descriptive term” that referred “…to a particular type of Roman religious experience in the fanum. The priests of these ancient “mystery cults,” existing roughly between the 5th century B.C. and the 5th century A.D., were history’s first fanatics.”[2] It took on a negative tone during the Reformation as the advocacy of “fanatics” like Martin Luther began to be denounced for their criticism of the Catholic Church. However, the term was chiefly connected to religion and not to political violence until the French Revolution.[3]
Today Merriam gives the term fanatic both a positive and negative definition as a noun. A positive definition as “a person who is extremely enthusiastic about and devoted to some interest or activity.” And a negative definition expressing disapproval as “a person exhibiting excessive enthusiasm and intense uncritical devotion toward some controversial matter (as in religion or politics). As the adjective, fanatical, Merriam defines it as “marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion.”[4]
Strongmen Rulers Require Fanaticism
In today’s world, with the advent of more strongman authoritarian regimes, it is understandable that the attention on those regimes’ centers on the leader- the strongman. And while the leader is certainly a key force around which the strongman regime coalesces and takes power, it is easy to miss a key fact about strongmen. They require and use certain of their followers’ “excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion.” And they require a lot of this uncritical devotion. Plus, they must require that these followers’ devotion to them is unquestioning.
Every strongman has a group of fanatics that surround him. Some might be in his immediate inner circle, while others hold more mid-level positions in the regime. But, make no mistake, in an authoritarian regime, the fanatics exist. They have a significant presence, and they intend to take and hold power indefinitely so their ideas, policies and philosophies of government (which attracted them to the strongman in the first place) can be implemented and used to control the government. It is a mutually beneficial relationship. The fanatics need the strongman and the strongman needs, or can use, them. The fanatics help the strongman attain and hold on to power. For that reason, they are his key allies.
Where They Are
There may be a tendency to associate fanatics and fanaticism only in the context of strongman regimes found in high school history books like that of Hitler’s Nazi Germany.[5] While these images from the 1930s and 1940s may be what comes to mind when one hears the word “fanatic”, today that image can be more accurately described of technocrats working in the government bureaucracy on behalf of the strongman.
These strongman regimes of today could be on the left of the political spectrum such as Maduro’s populist socialist regime in Venezuela[6] Or, they may not line up neatly as “left or right wing” such as Xi Jinping’s Communist China.[7] But, with the rise of political right extremism on a worldwide basis, including in the U.S., authoritarian regimes are seemingly more prolific on that end of the spectrum. Viktor Orban’s far right Hungarian strongman regime of “illiberal democracy” is one that the Republican Party makes clear they admire and wish to emulate.[8] Each of these strongmen require the support of a fanatical circle of “true believers.”
Project 2025- the Fanatics Pathway to Power
With the conversion of the Republican Party into what is Trump’s personalist party (i.e., membership requires unquestioned loyalty first to Trump as party leader, not to the party), the MAGA (Make America Great Again) GOP, has at its core a group of fanatics. These individuals are in the wings waiting to take power if their strongman is elected. And, they have a vehicle for taking and holding that power called Project 2025.
The unveiling of Project 2025, a 900 plus page manifesto represents years of work by the far-right wing think tank, the Heritage Foundation (Heritage). Since Trump’s 2020 presidential election loss, Heritage has emerged as the policy arm of Trump’s MAGA GOP, culminating with their “piece de resistance”, Project 2025.
Resting on a Christian nationalist vision for America, Project 2025 is a blueprint to slash the federal government’s footprint and its spending, dissolve the Executive Branch’s civil service positions (replacing them with political spoils appointees), dismantle and eliminate complete agencies, limit government, and give the president unprecedented powers including direct operational control over the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI. Over 140 former Trump Administration officials are affiliated with Project 2025 including six former cabinet officials and four ambassador nominees.[9]
Now America’s Most Visible and Active Fanatics
Who wrote Project 2025 (the Project) and who intends to implement it, given the opportunity? They are all close Trump officials that were either “key figures from his first transition, close oval office allies, or mid-level agency officials.”[10]
Russell Vought authored Chapter 2 of the Project, titled “Taking the Reins of Federal Government” which lays out a “how to” for consolidating power around the president’s political vision and bypassing Congress to fund only projects consistent with the president’s vision. Vought is a former Director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Trump Administration. He is also Founder and President of the Center for Renewing America and is rumored to be Trump’s pick for Chief of Staff in a second Trump White House. Reportedly Vought hopes his close relationship with Trump will help elevate Christian nationalism during a second Trump term.[11] According to Richard Lardner of the AP, Vought said on a rightwing podcast that the “…only way to return America to the country the Founding Fathers envisioned is “radical constitutionalism”, that means ensuring complete control of the executive branch rests solely with the president, not a vast federal bureaucracy.”[12]
Then there is Roger Severino, the author of Chapter 14 about the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and how to restrict abortion access. He is a former Trump DOJ official and is now Heritage’s Vice President for Domestic Policy. He is a dogmatic anti-abortion militant who believes America cannot survive if abortion access is not restricted in this nation. Severino advocates using the regulatory capacity of the HHS, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the DOJ to achieve outlawing all abortion.[13]
Alarmingly, Will Carless of USA Today analyzed Project 2025 and found “…at least five named contributors with a history of racist writing or statements of white supremacist activity.”[14] This includes Richard Hanania who has written for years “…racist essays for white supremacist publications under a pseudonym” until unmasked last year by a Huffington Post investigation”.[15] Another named contributor is failed GOP Senate candidate Corey Stewart who “…has long associated with white supremacists and calls himself a protector of America’s Confederate history…”[16]
Next, we have John McEntee. McEntee, a Trump loyalist that began working for Trump as a body man (personal aide) was dismissed for failing a background clearance check due to gambling issues, but was later rehired as Director of the Presidential Personnel Office.[17] In late 2020 near the end of the Trump presidency, McEntee began efforts via a presidential executive order to remove Executive Branch positions from civil service status and its related protections.[18] Working now with the Project, McEntee is taking the same approach in the event Trump is elected to a second term. McEntee is now building a data base of Trump loyalists from which to fill Executive Branch positions formerly held by professional career civil servants with those whose chief qualification will be unquestioned loyalty to Trump. With that, the political spoils/patronage system will return with a vengeance returning us to an Executive Branch of the pre-1880s era.
Just the “Tip of the Fanaticism Iceberg”
This is just a small part of the fanatics involved in Project 2025. People “marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion.” However, Project 2025 with its extreme policies, impingement on personal freedoms, and the goal to remake American government without constitutional amendments or Congressional oversight, is unpopular with many Americans. A recent survey by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst found:
“According to the poll, conducted July 29-Aug. 1, more than half (53%) of Americans – and two-thirds of Democrats – indicated that they had read, seen or heard at least something about “Project 2025” – and they don’t particularly care for it.”[19]
Consequently, the Trump campaign is now running away from Project 2025, with Trump even disavowing it (although he had publicly acknowledged the Project in 2022[20]).[21] Even Heritage’s President Kevin Roberts, an ardent Christian nationalist[22] and chief architect behind Project 2025, has been downplaying Project 2025’s influence on the GOP.[23] Already the Project’s Director has stepped down. Yet the GOP party platform Agenda 47 shows strong influences from Project 2025 and Roberts says Heritage’s “personnel work” will go on.[24]
For all these reasons and more, Americans would do well during this election season to keep these wise words at the forefront of their minds- “Beware the fanatics.” Keeping a democracy from a strongman’s and his fanatics’ control requires it.
[1] Fanatic Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
[2] Fanaticism may be rising alarmingly fast. But it’s a very old problem. - The Washington Post
[3] Fanaticism may be rising alarmingly fast. But it’s a very old problem. - The Washington Post
[4] Fanaticism may be rising alarmingly fast. But it’s a very old problem. - The Washington Post
[5] Hitler's Inner Circle: The 10 Henchmen That Served Hitler and the Nazi Party (warhistoryonline.com)
[6] Politics of Venezuela - Wikipedia
[7] Is there a Political “Left” or “Right” in China? Charting China’s Ideological Spectrum | FSI (stanford.edu)
[8] American conservatives embrace Hungary’s authoritarian leader at Budapest conference | CNN Politics
[9] The ReidOut, MSNBC, July 2024, “Project 2025 Exposed”
[10] The ReidOut, MSNBC, July 2024, “Project 2025 Exposed”
[11] The ReidOut, MSNBC, July 2024, “Project 2025 Exposed”
[12] Chief Project 2025 architect is ready to shock Washington if Trump wins | AP News
[13] The ReidOut, MSNBC, July 2024, “Project 2025 Exposed”
[14] Project 2025 Decried as Racist. Some Contributors Have a Trail of Racist Writings, Activity,” by Will Carless, USA Today, July 29, 2024, 6:08 am ET, Updated 10:49 pm ET, July 29, 2024.
[15] Project 2025 Decried as Racist. Some Contributors Have a Trail of Racist Writings, Activity,” by Will Carless, USA Today, Ibid.
[16] Project 2025 Decried as Racist. Some Contributors Have a Trail of Racist Writings, Activity,” by Will Carless, USA Today, Ibid.
[17] John McEntee (political aide) - Wikipedia
[18] Civil Service Reform is Needed But Trump’s Lame Duck Initiative Is Not The Answer (And Could Make Things Worse”), by Susan E. Dudley, December 16, 2020, 08:13am EST,
[19] Americans Widely Oppose ‘Project 2025’ According to New UMass Amherst Poll: UMass Amherst
[20] What to know about Trump's ties to Project 2025's close allies as he denies link to it (nbcnews.com)
[21] Donald Trump Disavows Project 2025 | C-SPAN.org
[22] Kevin Roberts, architect of Project 2025, has close ties to radical Catholic group Opus Dei | US news | The Guardian
[23] Project 2025 shakeup, but personnel work will continue: NPR
[24] What is Agenda47? A look at Trump's policy plans beyond Project 2025 (usatoday.com)