All foreign aid halted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to love DCUM.

There were some really interesting, thoughtful posters.

I jump in every once in a while, and all I find are trolls and maga idiots posting. It's sad.

Yet another great thing ruined by MAGGOTs

This.
There used to be good intel and worthwhile points of view. Now it’s just mindless idiocy. And the few interesting perspectives are so quickly washed away in the unending vitriol that goes nowhere.
Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to love DCUM.

There were some really interesting, thoughtful posters.

I jump in every once in a while, and all I find are trolls and maga idiots posting. It's sad.

Yet another great thing ruined by MAGGOTs

This.
There used to be good intel and worthwhile points of view. Now it’s just mindless idiocy. And the few interesting perspectives are so quickly washed away in the unending vitriol that goes nowhere.
Ugh.

1000%. It used to be a window into the perspectives of really smart people who many times were subject matter experts. Now it's mostly like listening to 8th graders: "Trump good. You bad."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Biden ordered a similar review of U.S. aid upon taking office

https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/whats-next-foreign-aid-under-biden

I have worked in global health since the first Bush administration. Nothing that any president has done to date, including the reviews, comes close to the absolute chaos of the past week. Literally no one knows what these orders mean, including senior State Department and USAID staff. Half of the Missions are telling our organization to do a full stop, including salaries, and the other half are saying to just stop programs and await instruction. Some are telling us to report on DEIA elements, and others are not. What is a DEIA element of a global health program? Is it work with disabled children promote inclusion and accessibility of schools? Is it working with ethnic minorities in a certain region who are over-represented in tuberculosis cases? We have no idea, and the Missions have no idea.

This is not just unprecedented, it's wildly under-considered. International development serves the interests of US foreign policy and national security by preventing disease outbreaks, curbing migration, preventing resource wars, and introducing anti-corruption mechanisms that allow more stable alliances. All of that is being torn down in the course of a week.

This is the story development professionals tell themselves, but is it really true? Has corruption really decreased in Africa? Most African heads of state aligned themselves with Russia in the Ukraine debacle. They are also playing Russia, China and the U.S. off of themselves to line their own pockets. There have been a spate of coups in the Sahel region over the past few years. Perhaps it's not working?

It’s not working, but to understand why you have to go back 20+ years and look at what happened during the Bush II administration. China went into Africa (and the Pacific and parts of Asia) hard in the 2000s while the U.S. was redirecting aid and diplomatic resources to Afghanistan and Iraq. American diplomacy - and the access of American companies to critical minerals - never really recovered from that.

This - and we are too righteous to condition aid on access to land and resources. China’s belt and road initiative has essentially conquered Africa and much of central and South America. Yet we are the gullible who provide HIV medication and clean water because it makes us feel good. China must laugh at us every single day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Biden ordered a similar review of U.S. aid upon taking office

https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/whats-next-foreign-aid-under-biden

I have worked in global health since the first Bush administration. Nothing that any president has done to date, including the reviews, comes close to the absolute chaos of the past week. Literally no one knows what these orders mean, including senior State Department and USAID staff. Half of the Missions are telling our organization to do a full stop, including salaries, and the other half are saying to just stop programs and await instruction. Some are telling us to report on DEIA elements, and others are not. What is a DEIA element of a global health program? Is it work with disabled children promote inclusion and accessibility of schools? Is it working with ethnic minorities in a certain region who are over-represented in tuberculosis cases? We have no idea, and the Missions have no idea.

This is not just unprecedented, it's wildly under-considered. International development serves the interests of US foreign policy and national security by preventing disease outbreaks, curbing migration, preventing resource wars, and introducing anti-corruption mechanisms that allow more stable alliances. All of that is being torn down in the course of a week.

This is the story development professionals tell themselves, but is it really true? Has corruption really decreased in Africa? Most African heads of state aligned themselves with Russia in the Ukraine debacle. They are also playing Russia, China and the U.S. off of themselves to line their own pockets. There have been a spate of coups in the Sahel region over the past few years. Perhaps it's not working?

It’s not working, but to understand why you have to go back 20+ years and look at what happened during the Bush II administration. China went into Africa (and the Pacific and parts of Asia) hard in the 2000s while the U.S. was redirecting aid and diplomatic resources to Afghanistan and Iraq. American diplomacy - and the access of American companies to critical minerals - never really recovered from that.

This - and we are too righteous to condition aid on access to land and resources. China’s belt and road initiative has essentially conquered Africa and much of central and South America. Yet we are the gullible who provide HIV medication and clean water because it makes us feel good. China must laugh at us every single day.

They will laugh at us even more now that we have no footprint! These people are such idiots and they are putting us at grave National Security risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Biden ordered a similar review of U.S. aid upon taking office

https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/whats-next-foreign-aid-under-biden

I have worked in global health since the first Bush administration. Nothing that any president has done to date, including the reviews, comes close to the absolute chaos of the past week. Literally no one knows what these orders mean, including senior State Department and USAID staff. Half of the Missions are telling our organization to do a full stop, including salaries, and the other half are saying to just stop programs and await instruction. Some are telling us to report on DEIA elements, and others are not. What is a DEIA element of a global health program? Is it work with disabled children promote inclusion and accessibility of schools? Is it working with ethnic minorities in a certain region who are over-represented in tuberculosis cases? We have no idea, and the Missions have no idea.

This is not just unprecedented, it's wildly under-considered. International development serves the interests of US foreign policy and national security by preventing disease outbreaks, curbing migration, preventing resource wars, and introducing anti-corruption mechanisms that allow more stable alliances. All of that is being torn down in the course of a week.

This is the story development professionals tell themselves, but is it really true? Has corruption really decreased in Africa? Most African heads of state aligned themselves with Russia in the Ukraine debacle. They are also playing Russia, China and the U.S. off of themselves to line their own pockets. There have been a spate of coups in the Sahel region over the past few years. Perhaps it's not working?

It’s not working, but to understand why you have to go back 20+ years and look at what happened during the Bush II administration. China went into Africa (and the Pacific and parts of Asia) hard in the 2000s while the U.S. was redirecting aid and diplomatic resources to Afghanistan and Iraq. American diplomacy - and the access of American companies to critical minerals - never really recovered from that.

This - and we are too righteous to condition aid on access to land and resources. China’s belt and road initiative has essentially conquered Africa and much of central and South America. Yet we are the gullible who provide HIV medication and clean water because it makes us feel good. China must laugh at us every single day.

They will laugh at us even more now that we have no footprint! These people are such idiots and they are putting us at grave National Security risk.

I don’t think Catholic Charities was providing a national security footprint. I suspect the opposite - if these NGOs were being used for national security they would refuse to do the work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to love DCUM.

There were some really interesting, thoughtful posters.

I jump in every once in a while, and all I find are trolls and maga idiots posting. It's sad.

Yet another great thing ruined by MAGGOTs

This.
There used to be good intel and worthwhile points of view. Now it’s just mindless idiocy. And the few interesting perspectives are so quickly washed away in the unending vitriol that goes nowhere.
Ugh.

Its been like that since 2015 at least. Trump's mere existence brings the worst out of people, and not just his supporters. Journalists in particular got lazy around then, with their daily "look at this dumb thing Trump said, we're so much smarter then him, call him Hitler in the comments if you agree" nonsense.

You can still get some good discussion here, but you have to avoid the orange elephant in the room, at least directly. You have to build up your own mental filters here, and know which topics to avoid and which are ok. You can also basically mentally filter certain posters/archetypes. Its not the carefully curated echo chamber you'll get on some platforms, but its much more manageable than say what you'd have to face on a .chan.

[Anonymous]

Considering that we have a huge national debt, Trump is right. Why should we go into debt (debt that our grandchildren will be expected to pay off) to line the pockets of officials in other countries? Not to mention the fact that our own citizens don’t have a lot of things they need.

Money doesn’t rain from the sky here. We literally go into debt (and DEEPER into debt?!) to give it to them. This isn’t our responsibility. Let other countries increase their foreign debt to take on these responsibilities. And if they don’t, that should send a message to you about who the suckers have been.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Considering that we have a huge national debt, Trump is right. Why should we go into debt (debt that our grandchildren will be expected to pay off) to line the pockets of officials in other countries? Not to mention the fact that our own citizens don’t have a lot of things they need.

Money doesn’t rain from the sky here. We literally go into debt (and DEEPER into debt?!) to give it to them. This isn’t our responsibility. Let other countries increase their foreign debt to take on these responsibilities. And if they don’t, that should send a message to you about who the suckers have been.

Foreign aid is 1% of the federal budget: https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/money-verify/united-states-foreign-aid-federal-budget-percentage-fact-check/536-09375bcd-56ec-4296-ac79-afb6ac3dbe78

This is much lower than what is spent by many (most?) developed countries.

If you are concerned about debt and the deficit, your focus should probably be elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Considering that we have a huge national debt, Trump is right. Why should we go into debt (debt that our grandchildren will be expected to pay off) to line the pockets of officials in other countries? Not to mention the fact that our own citizens don’t have a lot of things they need.

Money doesn’t rain from the sky here. We literally go into debt (and DEEPER into debt?!) to give it to them. This isn’t our responsibility. Let other countries increase their foreign debt to take on these responsibilities. And if they don’t, that should send a message to you about who the suckers have been.

Foreign aid is 1% of the federal budget: https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/money-verify/united-states-foreign-aid-federal-budget-percentage-fact-check/536-09375bcd-56ec-4296-ac79-afb6ac3dbe78

This is much lower than what is spent by many (most?) developed countries.

If you are concerned about debt and the deficit, your focus should probably be elsewhere.

It is also used strategically to protect interests and achieve goals that PP likely could not connect the dots to understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Considering that we have a huge national debt, Trump is right. Why should we go into debt (debt that our grandchildren will be expected to pay off) to line the pockets of officials in other countries? Not to mention the fact that our own citizens don’t have a lot of things they need.

Money doesn’t rain from the sky here. We literally go into debt (and DEEPER into debt?!) to give it to them. This isn’t our responsibility. Let other countries increase their foreign debt to take on these responsibilities. And if they don’t, that should send a message to you about who the suckers have been.

Foreign aid is 1% of the federal budget: https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/money-verify/united-states-foreign-aid-federal-budget-percentage-fact-check/536-09375bcd-56ec-4296-ac79-afb6ac3dbe78

This is much lower than what is spent by many (most?) developed countries.

If you are concerned about debt and the deficit, your focus should probably be elsewhere.

It is also used strategically to protect interests and achieve goals that PP likely could not connect the dots to understand.

Or maybe we don't support those interests and goals...

[Anonymous]

I guess Trump is "pro-ISIS" because this order cut pay for all of the militias and guards dealing with ISIS in the middle east and now they are running free from the jails they were being held in.

Way to go Donald and Marco!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess Trump is "pro-ISIS" because this order cut pay for all of the militias and guards dealing with ISIS in the middle east and now they are running free from the jails they were being held in.

Way to go Donald and Marco!

ISIS is an ally of Israel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess Trump is "pro-ISIS" because this order cut pay for all of the militias and guards dealing with ISIS in the middle east and now they are running free from the jails they were being held in.

Way to go Donald and Marco!

ISIS is an ally of Israel.

Depopulation Netanyahu is so evil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to our senior citizens? You know, the ones that were hippies in the 60’s and wanted to spread love and peace? They should be in their late 60’s and 70’s. And they voted for this guy?

The 60s were 60 years ago. Hippies from that era, those still alive, are now in their 80s and likely did not vote for trump. It was young men that got him elected

Young men and blacks. Two groups (esp blacks which I am) dcum thinks they can count on to vote they way they want. Ha! Joke was on them, wasn’t it. How bout that scolding of black men Obama did? That worked so well.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess Trump is "pro-ISIS" because this order cut pay for all of the militias and guards dealing with ISIS in the middle east and now they are running free from the jails they were being held in.

Way to go Donald and Marco!

ISIS is an ally of Israel.

Depopulation Netanyahu is so evil.

Good example of the kinds of posts ruining the site.