Merged USAID: is it really a bunch of crazy leftists? / Trump Was Absolutely Right to Shut Down USAID

[Darat]

You're talking to people that think racism isn't racism, unless someone is literally lynched.

Don't be silly, there could be many other reasons the black man was lynched other than being black, assuming racism was involved is unskeptical. There was one case out of 101 lynchings when the man was not a black man^†

†He was an immigrant from China.

 

[PitPat]

I don't care what anybody else says.

It's going to take a long time to recover from this if we want to respected on a global scale. It'll go through the courts. But that stain will not be forgotten with the rest of the world, which Trump really doesn't seem to care about.

 

[dann]

I really don't know what to even reply to this. Except maybe sorry you keep completely misunderstanding so much of what I write to you? There's so many incorrect assumptions in this post I'm even sure where to begin.

Look, I know we live in polarized, heated times, but maybe take a deep breath, go for a walk, pet a passing dog or something, and come back and actually read what we're writing to you. I don't mean that in a condescending way, I mean it sincerely. You're attacking positions I don't hold and, in at least one case, that I've specifically said already that I do not hold. Also, grumpy strawmen like "you're calling something propaganda because of a name" or "you're calling everything that criticizes their pipe dream (what pipe dream? I never harboured an illusion that USAID was all sunshine and rainbows and I've already said so) is propaganda" aren't conductive to good discussion either.

Look, America is in a crisis and picking pointless fights with people on your own side isn't going to help.

Also I recommend I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom. It's largely about how the Internet makes people pick pointless fights like this, with people who for the most part don't even disagree with them! I suggest you read it. It's a real eye-opener.

The old trick of claiming that "there's so many incorrect assumptions in this post I'm even sure where to begin" as an excuse for not pointing out a single one of the alleged incorrect assumptions. I did read what you were writing:

You know, this is not really the right forum for strawmen and angry knee-jerk outbursts. We have Twitter for that.
Asking for better sources than (literally!) communist propaganda is just critical thinking. You'd get the same reaction here if you treated putin, Drumpf, or Musk as objective sources. It's not about automatically dismissing Cubans as a source, it's about striving for reliability and critical thinking.

But instead of pointing out something in my links that was communist propaganda, you just claim that it is. Of course, pointing it out would have required reading those links, which you are far too occupied with other stuff to do, so the all-encompassing dismissal of my links is your easy way out.
By the way, I am not at all unaware that America is in a crisis. You, on the other hand, along with many others in this thread, appear to be interested in nothing but apologetics for USAID. One of the reasons why America is in the current crisis is that Americans never bothered doing something about the ◊◊◊◊◊◊ things many of its institutions have been doing the whole time. Why would you bother about what USAID was doing to Cuba, for instance? You were all for it since you already believed the lies about "communist propaganda" while ignoring American propaganda - some of which was paid for by USAID.
Instead of reading and learning, you contribute to the lie by repeating it.
It is high time to wake up and faces facts!

 

[dann]

I don't care what anybody else says.
It's going to take a long time to recover from this if we want to respected on a global scale. It'll go through the courts. But that stain will not be forgotten with the rest of the world, which Trump really doesn't seem to care about.

There's no recovering from this if you continue to think of Trump as an unfortunate stain on the otherwise unblemished and glorious past of This Great Nation as even people who ought to know better often say when they refer to the USA.
It's the idea that makes some people want to Make America Great Again ...

 

[PitPat]

Well I don't think it's a bad country, like most people don't think about theirs. Not moving to Canada, all hope is not lost.

At our young age, we've gone through growing pains, and hopefully this is just another one. Historically speaking.

 

[dann]

Dream on!

 

[PitPat]

I know nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes

 

[mikegriffith1]

Trump was totally justified in shutting down USAID. USAID had been grossly misusing federal tax dollars. As just one example, USAID funneled nearly $800 million to a pro-transgender group that seeks to push woke gender ideology and to censor criticism of the transgender agenda:

USAID Funneled Nearly $800 Million To Global Censorship Group

USAID funneled $799 million to a group that launched a global censorship platform and pushed radical gender ideology.

thefederalist.com

We now know that an internal USAID memo warned agency officials that they were not properly vetting recipients:

Before Trump purge at USAID, memo warned agency it created 'vulnerabilities' doling out foreign aid

The internal watchdog warned the agency that it was not sufficiently vetting for terrorists or getting the U.N. to comply with transparency requirements.

justthenews.com

Some other sources on USAID waste, including revelations from former USAID officials/employees who've come forward to expose the agency's misuse of funds:

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/3/usaid-massive-pool-waste-corruption-shut/

I am a USAID whistleblower. I've got to admit, Musk is mostly right about agency's waste

Let's be honest, everyone who works at USAID knows about the appalling waste and occasional malevolence that happens within the aid-industrial complex.

www.foxnews.com

Ex-USAID official speaks out over alleged waste, fraud inside agency

A former U.S. Agency for International Development official says "the list goes on and on" of the alleged spending waste and fraud she experienced while working there.

www.foxbusiness.com

Sen. Ernst: USAID Wouldn't Tell Congress How It Spent Billions

Ernst’s struggle to hold USAID accountable frustrated Musk, who called the agency’s obstruction of her attempts to investigate ‘outrageous.’

thefederalist.com

Whistleblower Mark Moyar says USAID’s woke operations degraded America’s image on the world stage

USAID Whistleblower Mark Moyar says the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) promoted DEI and gender initiatives on a global scale, despite only a small minority of our country supporting them. Moyar says USAID’s woke agenda tarnished America’s image in the eyes of most...

justthenews.com

Before it was shuttered, USAID routed funds to Soros-aligned causes, terrorists and drag queens

The development agency for years also funneled money to several nonprofit groups that also received substantial backing from components of George Soros’ empire.

justthenews.com

 

[PitPat]

No, it was not right. That aid made not only the world better, but elevated our reputation as kinda being generous.

That reputation has been eroded, and will take awhile to recover from. Believe it or not, there are other countries in the world. Kind of the "International" part of ISF.

 

[mikegriffith1]

No, it was not right. That aid made not only the world better, but elevated our reputation as kinda being generous.

No, it did not. Much of that aid was wasted on absurd programs and causes. I bet you didn't bother to read a single link I provided.

That reputation has been eroded, and will take awhile to recover from. Believe it or not, there are other countries in the world.

No way! Where do you get that?

Actually, I've lived in three other countries (Army assignments) and visited five others.

Among many peoples in foreign nations, Trump has improved our reputation and image.

 

[PitPat]

Thank you for your service.

I got it from being marginally interested in world history.

I'm sure a few countries are pleased with him coming back into power.

 

[Jack by the hedge]

Trump was totally justified in shutting down USAID. USAID had been grossly misusing federal tax dollars. As just one example, USAID funneled nearly $800 million to a pro-transgender group that seeks to push woke gender ideology and to censor criticism of the transgender agenda:

USAID Funneled Nearly $800 Million To Global Censorship Group

USAID funneled $799 million to a group that launched a global censorship platform and pushed radical gender ideology.

thefederalist.com

...

I followed your first link. To my great surprise, it appears the organisation described was not founded as an evil coalition of trans drag queens, bent on the destruction of all that is good.

It's a consortium of 3 Reagan-era NGOs dedicated to supporting good governance and encouraging fair, open, democratic elections worldwide: the Republican-founded International Foundation for Electoral Systems, the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute.

I couldn't find in their Wikipedia pages the point at which they abandoned their mission in favour of just attacking healthy young minds with woke poison and forcing them all to have sex change operations but you're clearly better informed in these matters than everyone else.

 

[PitPat]

So just black out the letters and rip them off the building. That seems like a reasonable first step within a month, he said sarcastically.

 

[3point14]

No, it did not. Much of that aid was wasted on absurd programs and causes. I bet you didn't bother to read a single link I provided.


No way! Where do you get that?

Actually, I've lived in three other countries (Army assignments) and visited five others.

Among many peoples in foreign nations, Trump has improved our reputation and image.

Sure...

 

[Darat]

Sure...

My Canadian girlfriend agrees with mikegriffith1...

 

[PitPat]

You have one too?

 

[johnny karate]

Trump was totally justified in shutting down USAID. USAID had been grossly misusing federal tax dollars. As just one example, USAID funneled nearly $800 million to a pro-transgender group that seeks to push woke gender ideology and to censor criticism of the transgender agenda:

USAID Funneled Nearly $800 Million To Global Censorship Group

USAID funneled $799 million to a group that launched a global censorship platform and pushed radical gender ideology.

thefederalist.com

We now know that an internal USAID memo warned agency officials that they were not properly vetting recipients:

Before Trump purge at USAID, memo warned agency it created 'vulnerabilities' doling out foreign aid

The internal watchdog warned the agency that it was not sufficiently vetting for terrorists or getting the U.N. to comply with transparency requirements.

justthenews.com

Some other sources on USAID waste, including revelations from former USAID officials/employees who've come forward to expose the agency's misuse of funds:

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/3/usaid-massive-pool-waste-corruption-shut/

I am a USAID whistleblower. I've got to admit, Musk is mostly right about agency's waste

Let's be honest, everyone who works at USAID knows about the appalling waste and occasional malevolence that happens within the aid-industrial complex.

www.foxnews.com

Ex-USAID official speaks out over alleged waste, fraud inside agency

A former U.S. Agency for International Development official says "the list goes on and on" of the alleged spending waste and fraud she experienced while working there.

www.foxbusiness.com

Sen. Ernst: USAID Wouldn't Tell Congress How It Spent Billions

Ernst’s struggle to hold USAID accountable frustrated Musk, who called the agency’s obstruction of her attempts to investigate ‘outrageous.’

thefederalist.com

Whistleblower Mark Moyar says USAID’s woke operations degraded America’s image on the world stage

USAID Whistleblower Mark Moyar says the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) promoted DEI and gender initiatives on a global scale, despite only a small minority of our country supporting them. Moyar says USAID’s woke agenda tarnished America’s image in the eyes of most...

justthenews.com

Before it was shuttered, USAID routed funds to Soros-aligned causes, terrorists and drag queens

The development agency for years also funneled money to several nonprofit groups that also received substantial backing from components of George Soros’ empire.

justthenews.com

“Because conspiracy theories!” is never a good argument, but I guess you’ve got to work with what you’ve got.

 

[Darat]

You have one too?

Yeah total hot, she's a 11, ands she's a millionaire influencer on Tiktok.

 

[Jack by the hedge]

Yeah total hot, she's a 11, ands she's a millionaire influencer on Tiktok.

I didn't know influencing millionaires was a job. It's possible she could do everyone a really big favour.

 

[PitPat]

Yeah total hot, she's a 11, ands she's a millionaire influencer on Tiktok.

Wait...

Is her name Tonya? This might be getting awkward.