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

[Gulliver Foyle]

Without Googling, I would say that 2% of the budget goes to foreign aid, and that may be on the high side.

If I see some burning embers at my neighbor's house, and I call the fire department, is that an act of altruism or self-interest? If I don't put the fire out, my own house may catch fire. Therefore, it's a little bit altruistic and a little bit self-interested. Money spent on fighting diseases in foreign countries is similar.

Well on the high side, unless you count private donations (mostly from ordinary people, the rich are extremely stingy as a class*), as even tge most generous states struggle to clear .75% of GDP in foreign aid.

*And even at that they generally donate to things that benefit themselves personally and financially.

 

[Emily's Cat]

And you are wrong. I know exactly how USAID functioned, we have similar organisations all over the Western world, and in managing international aid projects for disabked groups, I have collaborated with several US organisations, that have been funded by, and had administrative assistance from the USAID. This is how SIDA, the Swedish Aid organisation, and the organisations of other western nations work as well. The USAID has assisted many worthwhile projects, together with other international organisations.

It isn’t ’US Aid”. It’s US Agency for International Development”. Some things they’ve done are charitable, but that was not it’s defined purpose.

 

[Trausti]

Plus most of the money spent by USAID was in buying surplus US produces, such as food, drugs and equipment and disbursing it to countries where people couldn't afford them and using that to bootstrap these people into greater prosperity and an ability to buy US goods through the profits of their own labours.

No, most of the money spent by USAID was to pay salaries and other administrative costs. And what I'd add to the discussion is how detrimental aid can be. Food aid, equipment, etc. impedes local development. Sure, the NGO can act like it's saving the world, but the local farmer, etc., simply cannot compete so local markets are slow to grow. The USAID crowd seemed to want people in other countries to be permanent dependents. It's not really about helping these people out at all; it's about smug people getting to feel smug. Even Bono seems to have realized this.

Pro Bono Capitalism

Aid is just a stop-gap. Commerce [and] entrepreneurial capitalism takes more people out of poverty than aid.

In dealing with poverty here and around the world, welfare and foreign aid are a Band-Aid. Free enterprise is a cure. Entrepreneurship is the most sure way of development.

Rock star preaches capitalism. Sometimes I hear myself and I just can't believe it.

 

[arthwollipot]

No, most of the money spent by USAID was to pay salaries and other administrative costs. And what I'd add to the discussion is how detrimental aid can be. Food aid, equipment, etc. impedes local development. Sure, the NGO can act like it's saving the world, but the local farmer, etc., simply cannot compete so local markets are slow to grow. The USAID crowd seemed to want people in other countries to be permanent dependents. It's not really about helping these people out at all; it's about smug people getting to feel smug. Even Bono seems to have realized this.

Wow, it's like you really don't understand international aid at all.

International aid is not welfare. Aid money goes into infrastructure - roads, clean water, medical facilities, housing, communications. Microloans so that people can set up their own businesses and bootstrap the local economy. Education, particularly of women and girls, since that has long been known to be by far one of the best investments in a local economy. And finally, a lot of aid goes into disaster relief. Practically all of that is gone now. Or rather, they're getting it from countries other than the United States. Particularly China, but also Europe, Canada, and Australia, all of which still have big international aid programmes.

And it's not like the financial statements aren't available for anyone to look at. Here's the OIG's audit of USAID's financial statements for the fiscal years 2022-2023. Enjoy perusing it - I think you'll find it enlightening.

Audit of USAID’s Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2022 | Office of Inspector General

oig.usaid.gov

 

[Emily's Cat]

Why do you think it’s relevant that they followed accounting rules properly?

 

[The Great Zaganza]

You mean like the DOD?

 

[Helen]

It isn’t ’US Aid”. It’s US Agency for International Development”. Some things they’ve done are charitable, but that was not it’s defined purpose.

Irrelevant. What do you think development means in that respect? It was started as a means to spread democracy, and to gain soft power to counter the Soviet Union. Do you have any idea how soft power works? And do you know what USAID has done since it was started in 1961?

There have been missions in at least a hundred countries, including programmes for global health and environmental protection, and between 2001 and 2021, USAID has been estimated to save at least four million lives a year.

Why not be proud of that? Instead of harping on about US taxpayers, who will not see any of that money spent on them.

 

[EHocking]

Irrelevant. What do you think development means in that respect? It was started as a means to spread democracy, and to gain soft power to counter the Soviet Union. Do you have any idea how soft power works? And do you know what USAID has done since it was started in 1961?

There have been missions in at least a hundred countries, including programmes for global health and environmental protection, and between 2001 and 2021, USAID has been estimated to save at least four million lives a year.

Why not be proud of that? Instead of harping on about US taxpayers, who will not see any of that money spent on them.

As any MAGA will tell you, including their Dear Leader.

Helping other people is socialism/communism.
The mentality is also, “◊◊◊◊ you as long as I’m ok”

 

[Helen]

Could those of you who defend this please tell me why it was done overnight? If othe countries had known, some of the programmes could have been kept going, and the research, and local funds and workers, could have been saved. Women in South Africa, who went to their HIV/AIDS clinics as usual in the morning to get their meds, would not have been met with empty and closed centres. Hundred of million of dollars, around 65,000 metric tonnes, of already paid for food would not have been stranded in the US.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

The logic, which is unfortunately correct, is that in an established bureaucracy, radical change is only possible if you break all the rules, a couple of laws, and many critically important programs.
DOGE wss an attack on what some call The Deep State and others a working administration, and hurting non-white was just an added bonus

 

[Mojo]

As any MAGA will tell you, including their Dear Leader.

Helping other people is socialism/communism.
The mentality is also, “◊◊◊◊ you as long as I’m ok”

No, it's "◊◊◊◊ you even if I'm ◊◊◊◊◊◊ as well".

 

[arthwollipot]

Could those of you who defend this please tell me why it was done overnight? If othe countries had known, some of the programmes could have been kept going, and the research, and local funds and workers, could have been saved. Women in South Africa, who went to their HIV/AIDS clinics as usual in the morning to get their meds, would not have been met with an empty and closed centres. Hundred of million of dollars, around 65,000 metric tonnes, of already paid for food would not have been stranded in the US.

A lot of people who relied on the supply of that medication are dead now. Their blood is on Elon Musk's hands.

 

[EHocking]

No, it's "◊◊◊◊ you even if I'm ◊◊◊◊◊◊ as well".

Too true. They don’t seem to mind the leopards.

 

[Darat]

As any MAGA will tell you, including their Dear Leader.

Helping other people is socialism/communism.
The mentality is also, “◊◊◊◊ you as long as I’m ok”

Not quite, it's the fear and anger that someone is getting something I'm not.

 

[Axxman300]

Or we can reallocate those funds to domestic needs like infrastructure repair, in-country manufacturing support and investment, onshoring pharmaceutical production, supporting education and healthcare, etc. You know, instead of raising taxes even higher.

So...socialism?

You don't seem to understand how things work in the United States. The government does not control the means of production, that's communism, and we point nuclear weapons at communist governments for good reason. Education is paid by state budgets, not federal, and Diaper-Don gutted the Department of Education, and is restricting college grants, and scholarships. The Diapered One also gutted the Affordable Care Act. So you talk out of both sides of your mouth. And taxes will go up no matter what, just in other ways. My gasoline bill is an added tax courtesy of Trump. His moronic tariffs are also an additional tax. So by voting for Trump you voted to almost triple your taxes.

Congratulations.

When we donate aid to third world countries that aid goes to work almost immediately. When Congress allocates fund for a highway, or a bridge those projects almost always have cost overruns, and take years of planning, design, redesign, and re-redesign before they are completed. Out here we're still waiting on our fancy high-speed rail system so we can catch up to 1980s Europe and Japan. Now the GOP could have streamlined the entire process so that federal money flows more directly to the desired project, or need, but since they are sister-raping crooks they have done NOTHING to make government more efficient at any level.

And we voted to end paying lavish salaries to politically connected NGOs

Instead, that money has gone into the pockets of corrupt congressional representatives and senators of both parties, along with their wealthy donors with impunity.

 

[Axxman300]

No, most of the money spent by USAID was to pay salaries and other administrative costs.

Never more than 8% of their budget.

And what I'd add to the discussion is how detrimental aid can be.

Yes, getting DRC farmers on their feet, vaccinating them, and their families, and their livestock. What monsters we are.

Sure, the NGO can act like it's saving the world, but the local farmer, etc., simply cannot compete so local markets are slow to grow.

Are they? Helping them develop productive farming systems seems like a good idea. We teach irrigation, fertilization, crop rotation, and more effective harvesting techniques allowing them to get their crops to the market faster. That means people eat, that means less dependance on foreign aid, and economic stability in the long run. I guess that's a bad thing.

The USAID crowd seemed to want people in other countries to be permanent dependents

No.

Oh, and guess who has stepped in to fill the void we've left? China.

So with our short-sighted, racist influenced move we have abdicated our influence in Africa and given China the keys. And unlike the US, they definitely have strings attached to any aid they provide. We are now at a severe disadvantage with the Chinese in almost all third world countries thanks to Trump.

 

[LSSBB]

Never more than 8% of their budget.


Yes, getting DRC farmers on their feet, vaccinating them, and their families, and their livestock. What monsters we are.


Are they? Helping them develop productive farming systems seems like a good idea. We teach irrigation, fertilization, crop rotation, and more effective harvesting techniques allowing them to get their crops to the market faster. That means people eat, that means less dependance on foreign aid, and economic stability in the long run. I guess that's a bad thing.


No.

Oh, and guess who has stepped in to fill the void we've left? China.

So with our short-sighted, racist influenced move we have abdicated our influence in Africa and given China the keys. And unlike the US, they definitely have strings attached to any aid they provide. We are now at a severe disadvantage with the Chinese in almost all third world countries thanks to Trump.

That is exactly it. That is why we stood up the Africa Command. We are now abdicating Africa to China.

 

[Flo]

That is exactly it. That is why we stood up the Africa Command. We are now abdicating Africa to China.

"But Africa is an inconsequential place full of small strategically unimportant countries, peopled by low IQ people who will never do anything with themselves, let the Chinese be embarrassed with them!"

 

[Emily's Cat]

Irrelevant. What do you think development means in that respect? It was started as a means to spread democracy, and to gain soft power to counter the Soviet Union. Do you have any idea how soft power works? And do you know what USAID has done since it was started in 1961?

There have been missions in at least a hundred countries, including programmes for global health and environmental protection, and between 2001 and 2021, USAID has been estimated to save at least four million lives a year.

Why not be proud of that? Instead of harping on about US taxpayers, who will not see any of that money spent on them.

Charity isn’t something to be prideful of. It’s compassionate, but it should also be tempered. Teach a person to fish and all that. It’s also something that should largely be voluntary as much as feasible.

There’s a fundamental contradiction involved here. The US ends up involved in the “development” of other countries, and it very frequently causes problems. It’s certainly backfired more than once. Additionally, a lot of the same people who complain of US interference in other countries also complain when the means by which a huge amount of that interference is withdrawn. You can’t have it both ways - either we provide support with strings attached, or we don’t.

If you want no strings, then it should be voluntary charity. And if it’s voluntary, then that comes with the risk that donations drop when people’s costs increase and they prioritize their own families and interests first.

——————————-

Somewhere along the way, a whole lot of foreigners started to believe that it’s okay to expect the US to support whatever they want supported, as if they have some claim on us. They feel they’re in a position to oversee how US taxpayer money is spent - both on US citizens and abroad. They feel they have the authority to judge, but there never seems to be any satisfaction.

That scrutiny and judgement never seems to be turned on other countries, only the US. When other countries prioritize their needs of their citizens over support for other countries, that’s okay. The same standard should apply to the US. We aren’t beholden to the rest of the globe, especially not when we’re constantly being framed as bad and evil. If all you ever have is criticism and contempt for the US, you shouldn’t be surprised when we stop playing with you.

 

[Emily's Cat]

Could those of you who defend this please tell me why it was done overnight? If othe countries had known, some of the programmes could have been kept going, and the research, and local funds and workers, could have been saved. Women in South Africa, who went to their HIV/AIDS clinics as usual in the morning to get their meds, would not have been met with empty and closed centres. Hundred of million of dollars, around 65,000 metric tonnes, of already paid for food would not have been stranded in the US.

It didn’t happen overnight. It was well known that the entire department was being evaluated and that a lot of stuff would be cut. It wasn’t a mystery kept secret - there was plenty of discussion as it began.

Maybe your country and your fellow citizens should pick up the slack? Maybe you should campaign to have your country do more international aid, if it’s so important to you.

It’s very easy to be casual and judgmental about how you want other people’s money to be spent.