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

Puppycow

Penultimate Amazing
Puppycow
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Jan 9, 2003
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Context, if you don't already know:
Rubio says he’s acting director of USAID as humanitarian agency is taken over by the State Department (CNN)

The news came hours after Elon Musk, the world’s richest man charged with overhauling the federal government, said President Donald Trump had signed off on shutting the agency down. Democrats say that it is not legal for the president to shutter a federal agency without consulting Congress.
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Later, Monday, Trump said he doesn’t need Congress to scrap the agency.

“Not when it comes to fraud. If there’s fraud, these people are lunatics,” Trump said when questioned by CNN’s Jeff Zeleny about his capacity to exact major changes to USAID.

“We just want to do the right thing. It’s something that should have been done a long time ago. Went crazy during the Biden administration. They went totally crazy what they were doing and the money they were giving to people that shouldn’t be getting,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
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“They turn out to be radical left lunatics. And the concept of it is good, but it’s all about the people,” he said.
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So he wants to fire all of the employees of the agency who he considers "radical left lunatics" and put in his own people.

Among projects funded by the agency, which are cited as evidence are:
1. "$1.5M to advance DEI in Serbia's workplaces."

2. "$70k for a production of a DEI musical in Ireland."

3. "$47k for a transgender opera in Colombia."

4. "$32k for a transgender comic book in Peru."
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Even if true and taken at face value that's a fraction of one percent of the USAID budget and doesn't justify shuttering the entire department.

Given how much the right wing absolutely lies about things it doesn't like, I wouldn't be too shocked to find that, say, the $70k for Ireland wasn't directly targeted at a DEI musical but instead was given to an organisation which spent that much on that project or some other, more reasonable explanation.

Then again, if transgender people in other countries are at risk then maybe a tiny fraction of one percent of the budget of a department may not be a bad way of protecting those people whilst reinforcing liberal values.
 
I don't think any of those projects are evidence of fraud.

I sure hope he can produce some evidence of fraud or he is in for absolutely no consequences whatsoever.
 
Trump tried to claim that $50 million was going on condoms for Gaza that were used for bomb making. With, unsurprisingly, not a shred of evidence.
www.usatoday.com

Donald Trump says he stopped $50 million for condoms going to Gaza. Is it true?

The U.S. has spent millions of dollars to send contraceptives to other countries. Did Trump's White House really stop $50 million in condoms for Gaza?
www.usatoday.com

As I mentioned elsewhere, recipients of USAID money, that was supposedly guaranteed and on the basis of which programmes to help people, and often save lives, had been undertaken, have been told to cease operations in places such as Ukraine, immediately. Lives will undoubtedly be lost as a result.
 
zooterkin said:
Trump tried to claim that $50 million was going on condoms for Gaza that were used for bomb making. With, unsurprisingly, not a shred of evidence.
www.usatoday.com

Donald Trump says he stopped $50 million for condoms going to Gaza. Is it true?

The U.S. has spent millions of dollars to send contraceptives to other countries. Did Trump's White House really stop $50 million in condoms for Gaza?
www.usatoday.com

As I mentioned elsewhere, recipients of USAID money, that was supposedly guaranteed and on the basis of which programmes to help people, and often save lives, had been undertaken, have been told to cease operations in places such as Ukraine, immediately. Lives will undoubtedly be lost as a result.
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Not white American lives so it doesn't matter.
 
Ya, piss off the Irish. That never goes poorly.

They are going to burn far more money trying to be "more efficient"* than they will ever recover from these programs. Anyone who has worked in Corporate America knows the biggest waste are "efficiency experts".

*its not about efficiency. It is about funneling money into their own pockets.
 
These sovereign countries can fund their own crap dei things.
Shutter it for audit,then open again for the actual good soft power programs that are a net benefit to AMERICANS. The USA isn't a charity.
 
Sherkeu said:
These sovereign countries can fund their own crap dei things.
Shutter it for audit,then open again for the actual good soft power programs that are a net benefit to AMERICANS. The USA isn't a charity.
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I guess you've never heard of "soft power", or that sometimes spending money abroad actually prevents more expensive problems at home (e.g. aid can prevent people becoming refugees seeking asylum).
 
Sherkeu said:
These sovereign countries can fund their own crap dei things.
Shutter it for audit,then open again for the actual good soft power programs that are a net benefit to AMERICANS. The USA isn't a charity.
Click to expand...
And it's Trump and Musk in charge of those net benefit programs. Even if the USAID did some good things, just imagine all the great things it will be able to do with those two in charge. They shut it down, and build it back up in their image. This can only result in an improvement that will benefit the American people.
 
zooterkin said:
I guess you've never heard of "soft power", or that sometimes spending money abroad actually prevents more expensive problems at home (e.g. aid can prevent people becoming refugees seeking asylum).
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Sure. Only problem is that it doesn't work. Asylum seekers of the last 10yrs, that were 90% young men, are the biggest rapers of the west at the moment. I'm not too happy about it.
 
What about the argument that this money should go to things like food and medicines, and not comic books or plays?
 
TragicMonkey said:
Evidence?
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Oh I used to think you were so clever.
I actually have a good record of being on the side of saying what becomes proven to be true....on this very forum. I think the logic in this space has been off the rails for a bit. Let's get back on track.
 
Sherkeu said:
These sovereign countries can fund their own crap dei things.
Shutter it for audit,then open again for the actual good soft power programs that are a net benefit to AMERICANS. The USA isn't a charity.
Click to expand...
Better yet, only fund programs that benefit real, taxpaying Americans. ◊◊◊◊ charity, period. Let the old, the disabled and the unfortunate fend for themselves.
 
Puppycow said:
What about the argument that this money should go to things like food and medicines, and not comic books or plays?
Click to expand...

Seems like the argument that is far more important is whether or not an unelected foreign national billionaire should be allowed to illegally shutter a government agency on a whim.
 
Puppycow said:
What about the argument that this money should go to things like food and medicines, and not comic books or plays?
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It's an argument to be made. It would have been nice if someone actually made it, rather than gutting the organization and leaving it in the hands of quite possibly the last man I'd want in charge of humanitarian funds.

Also, for better or worse, it's an argument that could be made for a lot of government money. If USAID actually went against what it was meant to do, that can be investigated and proven. But again, the gutting of the "swamp" by literal swamp creatures.
 
Darat said:
Ah is that like your president's common sense telling him DEI had something to do with an air crash short hours after it happened?
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It is a side effect we can tolerate to get ◊◊◊◊ done. Shut it all down.
I was a fan of Millei from the moment he won.
This is how the bloat gets slimmed. ¡Afuera!
Some things gets hurt in the process but it must be done for the prosperity of everyone long term.
 
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Sherkeu said:
It is a side effect we can tolerate to get sh*t done. Shut it all down.
I was a fan of Millei from the moment he won.
This is how the bloat gets slimmed. ¡Afuera!
Some things gets hurt in the process but it must be done for the prosperity of everyone long term.
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Yes, yes, and when everything collapses and everyone is worse off, your refrain will be "How could I have known?".
 
Sherkeu said:
Oh I used to think you were so clever.
I actually have a good record of being on the side of saying what becomes proven to be true....on this very forum. I think the logic in this space has been off the rails for a bit. Let's get back on track.
Click to expand...

You are actively supporting the illegal takeover of a U.S. government agency by an unelected foreign national. Tell me more about your logic and truth.
 
Sherkeu said:
It is a side effect we can tolerate to get sh*t done. Shut it all down.
I was a fan of Millei from the moment he won.
This is how the bloat gets slimmed. ¡Afuera!
Some things gets hurt in the process but it must be done for the prosperity of everyone long term.
Click to expand...

What you are championing here is illegal and in defiance of the Constitutional order. You are advocating for fascism.
 
Not illegal. What is created by an order can be demolished by an order.
If you don't like it, elect another President next time.
 
Sherkeu said:
Sure. Only problem is that it doesn't work. Asylum seekers of the last 10yrs, that were 90% young men, are the biggest rapers of the west at the moment. I'm not too happy about it.
Click to expand...
Silly question I know but I live in hope - evidence?
 
Sherkeu said:
It is a side effect we can tolerate to get sh*t done. Shut it all down.
I was a fan of Millei from the moment he won.
This is how the bloat gets slimmed. ¡Afuera!
Some things gets hurt in the process but it must be done for the prosperity of everyone long term.
Click to expand...
Have you looked at the state of Argentina? That is your role model?

ETA: Just went to check to see if a miracle has happened and I missed it - nope Argentina still has an annual inflation rate of over 100%.
 
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Darat said:
Silly question I know but I live in hope - evidence?
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You want evidence of all the increased rapes assaults in the west directly due of the unfettered migration of young males?????
Is this because you do not believe it is true or are you trolling me is a sarcastic way?
 
Sherkeu said:
Yep. Better off now. Is there 140% inflation there still as when he took over?
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Yep.

www.bbvaresearch.com

Argentina | November 2024 National Flash Inflation: 2.4% mom; 166% yoy. | BBVA Research

National inflation in November was 2.4% m/m (166% y/y, 112% ytd), below market expectations (REM-BCRA: 2.8% m/m). This is the lowest monthly value since July 2020.
www.bbvaresearch.com www.bbvaresearch.com

ETA: The equivalent USA rate is 2.9% - I think people in the "Eggs" thread need to know Trumpists want to reach the sunny heights of Argentinian inflation.

I suppose it will be one graph that shows a growth.
 
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Sherkeu said:
Not illegal. What is created by an order can be demolished by an order.
If you don't like it, elect another President next time.
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Sherkeu said:
All legal. Trump is the one in charge. He decides who works for him as an advisor.
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Neither Trump nor his advisors can shutter the USAID. That is the sole province of Congress. The Constitution is very clear on this point. You are advocating for fascism.
 
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