Closing USAID

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Trump administration has put on leave about 60 senior career officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) workers, sources familiar with the matter said, after Washington put a sweeping freeze on U.S. aid worldwide.
The administration on Saturday urged the USAID staff to join the effort to transform how Washington allocates aid around the world in line with Trump's "America First" policy. It also threatened "disciplinary action" for any staff ignoring the administration's orders.
An internal memo sent to USAID employees on Monday evening said the new leadership identified several actions in the agency that "appeared to be designed to circumvent the President's Executive Orders and the mandate from the American people."
"As a result, we have placed a number of USAID employees on administrative leave with full pay and benefits until further notice while we complete our analysis of these actions," Acting Administrator Jason Gray said in the memo, reviewed by Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-puts-leave-nearly-60-usaid-career-staff-after-aid-freeze-2025-01-28/

USAID believed it was accountable to no one.

If USAID is so terrible, why didn’t Trump do something about it his first term? You know, the first time he made America great again.

He has a mandate now with control of congress.

I voted for him but he hardly has a mandate “with control of the Congress.” An extremely slim majority is hardly a mandate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those of you suddenly scrutinizing USAID budgets and expenses, I look forward to your scrutiny of taxpayer dollars being spent at Trump hotels, resorts, and other businesses over the next four years (not to mention all the contributions to those Trump companies from foreign entities).

If there is a suspicion that taxpayer money is being wasted, then certainly they should be looked at. Why do you sound like you would have preferred a status quo where the waste continues?

No. No it is not.

You are clueless. USAID programs and funding annually go through budget submissions, House and Senate committee hearings and approvals, House and Senate floor votes, Presidential signature, regulatory processes with comment periods, legal scrutiny, etc., acquisition and grants management procedures, requirements, evaluations, oversight, reporting, and then start the processes over again. Just because you and Elon Musk are clueless doesn’t mean these are secret programs. They have been vetted and vetted and vetted to comply with the program need defined by law by Congress.

It's terrifying to me that with so many approval needed, so much abuse of government funds still got approved. It's a very hard job for the President to clean the house.

Just STFU. USAID does great things that help people, save lives, and are a great benefit for the U.S. image abroad. Otherwise, we would just be known for our history of DoD, State, and CIA supporting authoritarian regimes that oppress their citizens. Trump is setting us back 50 years.

USAID is the CIA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make no mistake. MAGA wants USAID destroyed because of Russian propaganda.

Please clarify, as your post is unclear. Was USAID promoting democracy and free markets inside Russia or is that claim Russian propaganda?

I doubt USAID were active in russia by the time of that tweet. But russia was and still is allergic to any democracy anywhere. Great move from musk removing USAID website so people who only heard of USAID by name cannot go and see what projects they were actually supporting. It has ripple effects on contractors worldwide, but also on US manufacturers and consultants / contractors here. USAID projects had to procure US made IT and other items. Well, guess now China with the silk and road initiative, their influence, and procurement preferences will swoop in where the US stopped.

Let’s ignore timing. Was USAID at some point during Putin’s rule promoting democracy and other initiatives that Putin/some Russians found objectionable?

Belt and Road has been running circles around American diplomatic/development efforts for years. I doubt the latest developments under Trump are going to materially change the status quo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our good friends worked for USAID - never knew it as they were contractors and I just assumed NGO, state department or foreign service.

Anyway; they got fired - it totally sucks.

But, really; if I have known these people for years but never even heard of the federal agency they were contractors for why is everyone freaking out?

Foreign aid will always be a part of US national security- and I am sure it will resume…but in the scheme of things this is not really an issue.

Potentially firing thousands of FBI agents seems a lot more serious.

Your good friends just got fired, but because they never told you the acronym of their funding source your response is “meh, guess it didn’t matter anyway.”

I am one of those people losing their jobs due to the foreign aid freeze. My work saved babies. Now it is gone and babies will die. Is that enough for you to feel more than “meh” for them? How about for me?

Friend my a$$.

DP. It is always terrible when friends are laid off. But this is not a thing that only affects federal workers! On the contrary, many of my private sector friends have been laid off multiple times in recent years. It is stressful and awful.

And presumably you cared about them, told them it is stressful and awful, and brought them a bottle of wine or batch of cookies, right? You didn’t say “meh, I’ve never heard of your company and so it can’t do anything important. So how about those Commanders?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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These grants have nothing to do with the things people are complaining about.

How do you figure??

DP...
Elon and the Trump White House are completely full of crap. They have provided ZERO evidence that the funds are actually for the things he claims they are.

Would also say, it is some serious cherry picking. Funds for disaster relief, farming, healthcare? Those would be the big bucks. If he is truly for transparency, do not cherry pick.

Ridiculous. Suggesting that funding a trans opera in Columbia is an acceptable use of taxpayer dollars and it’s just “cherry picking” to point it out is insulting to the voters.

So US State is funding non major stuff all over the world from US artists doing hip hop in Mongolia to local theatre stuff for specific target markets in other countries. $ come from taxes. Line around the block in Ireland for a theatre is a pic of the Hamilton crowd. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14344255/trump-millions-dei-foreign-aid-programs-funding.html

Meanwhile China sent this -National Ballet of China at the Kennedy Center. https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/dance/2024-2025/chinese-new-year/program?performanceId=82603 Fine box office for a show that locals could take the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make no mistake. MAGA wants USAID destroyed because of Russian propaganda.

Please clarify, as your post is unclear. Was USAID promoting democracy and free markets inside Russia or is that claim Russian propaganda?

I doubt USAID were active in russia by the time of that tweet. But russia was and still is allergic to any democracy anywhere. Great move from musk removing USAID website so people who only heard of USAID by name cannot go and see what projects they were actually supporting. It has ripple effects on contractors worldwide, but also on US manufacturers and consultants / contractors here. USAID projects had to procure US made IT and other items. Well, guess now China with the silk and road initiative, their influence, and procurement preferences will swoop in where the US stopped.

Meant road and belt initiative. This opinion expresses it well:
https://news.cornell.edu/media-relations/tip-sheets/usaid-closure-only-winners-are-china-and-russia

Thank you posting the link. I have no doubt that you find that opinion sincerely insightful. In a similar vein, I find it wholly unpersuasive.

I don’t want to be in a civilizational struggle with China and Russia. I don’t care if China, Russia, Nigeria, Mexico or Poland are the “winners”. I am not sure anybody can fully articulate the price of “winning” or the prize for “winning”.

I really don’t care about sponsoring foreign students in the US as some glorified form of cultural exchange or extension of US soft power.

I DO care about sponsoring American students in the USA.

I REALLY care about my teenage son and preteen son never being drafted into some meaningless war over meaningless land in far off places because people like the professor think global civilizational struggles are important. We tried that garbage in the 1960s/70s because people were afraid the USSR was going to be the “winner” in some small meaningless strip of jungle in Southeast Asia. How did that work out?

Give me fortress America. For those of you that really care about Russia and China winning or losing, please, please sign your sons and daughters up to fight and wear that risk. Don’t drag the rest of us into your empire building and glory seeking.

[Anonymous]

Why were taxpayers forced to fund DEI in Serbia? Who approved that lunacy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why were taxpayers forced to fund DEI in Serbia? Who approved that lunacy?

You know what this has done? This has forced me to look into where exactly USAID funding has gone. I naively thought it was solely dedicated to funding "basic necessities" in 3rd world countries in need of "aid" related to housing, food, basic medical care.

I found this article: https://www.washingtonblade.com/2022/11/02/usaid-highlights-work-to-promote-lgbtq-intersex-rights-in-latin-america-caribbean/

I believe in LGBTQ+ rights and all that....BUT....this is NOT what USAID funding should be used for. Neither should USAID funding be used for anything related to DEI programs or any other programs that are not truly deemed "basic necessities" -- healthcare aid should be limited to the very basics needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make no mistake. MAGA wants USAID destroyed because of Russian propaganda.

Please clarify, as your post is unclear. Was USAID promoting democracy and free markets inside Russia or is that claim Russian propaganda?

I doubt USAID were active in russia by the time of that tweet. But russia was and still is allergic to any democracy anywhere. Great move from musk removing USAID website so people who only heard of USAID by name cannot go and see what projects they were actually supporting. It has ripple effects on contractors worldwide, but also on US manufacturers and consultants / contractors here. USAID projects had to procure US made IT and other items. Well, guess now China with the silk and road initiative, their influence, and procurement preferences will swoop in where the US stopped.

Meant road and belt initiative. This opinion expresses it well:
https://news.cornell.edu/media-relations/tip-sheets/usaid-closure-only-winners-are-china-and-russia

Thank you posting the link. I have no doubt that you find that opinion sincerely insightful. In a similar vein, I find it wholly unpersuasive.

I don’t want to be in a civilizational struggle with China and Russia. I don’t care if China, Russia, Nigeria, Mexico or Poland are the “winners”. I am not sure anybody can fully articulate the price of “winning” or the prize for “winning”.

I really don’t care about sponsoring foreign students in the US as some glorified form of cultural exchange or extension of US soft power.

I DO care about sponsoring American students in the USA.

I REALLY care about my teenage son and preteen son never being drafted into some meaningless war over meaningless land in far off places because people like the professor think global civilizational struggles are important. We tried that garbage in the 1960s/70s because people were afraid the USSR was going to be the “winner” in some small meaningless strip of jungle in Southeast Asia. How did that work out?

Give me fortress America. For those of you that really care about Russia and China winning or losing, please, please sign your sons and daughters up to fight and wear that risk. Don’t drag the rest of us into your empire building and glory seeking.

Maybe you are not, but russia and china absolutely are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's complex and I admit I have no full knowledge of how USAID works and I think that's a big problem for everyone.

But the total spend is not just a drop in the bucket.

The money is typically 100% support, with no strings attached, that is, free money to citizens in other countries. I believe that charity is a wonderful thing, until and unless it eventually causes potential corruption and out of control spending.

Maybe it did not need to be put at a full stop but someone needs to take a second look at how it's run. In fact, we have a lot of federal departments that should be evaluated. We should have a legit process in doing it which I definitely believe we won't have under Trump & co., but the idea that USAID and all these agencies should and can just go on till infinity running the way they are currently is contributing to the downfall of the US. The spending must stop. It is as nuts as Trump is in a manner of speaking.

- signed, a liberal who did not vote for Trump and does not identify with GOP politics

agree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why were taxpayers forced to fund DEI in Serbia? Who approved that lunacy?

You know what this has done? This has forced me to look into where exactly USAID funding has gone. I naively thought it was solely dedicated to funding "basic necessities" in 3rd world countries in need of "aid" related to housing, food, basic medical care.

I found this article: https://www.washingtonblade.com/2022/11/02/usaid-highlights-work-to-promote-lgbtq-intersex-rights-in-latin-america-caribbean/

I believe in LGBTQ+ rights and all that....BUT....this is NOT what USAID funding should be used for. Neither should USAID funding be used for anything related to DEI programs or any other programs that are not truly deemed "basic necessities" -- healthcare aid should be limited to the very basics needed.

Now go down the rabbit hole of the USAID for profit contractors like Chemonics - your neighbors are making a lot of money fleecing the American people to pay for Central American drag shows. The Democratic Party should choose a different hill to die on (especially Vindman whose twin brother literally profited from USAID contracts in Ukraine).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make no mistake. MAGA wants USAID destroyed because of Russian propaganda.

Please clarify, as your post is unclear. Was USAID promoting democracy and free markets inside Russia or is that claim Russian propaganda?

I doubt USAID were active in russia by the time of that tweet. But russia was and still is allergic to any democracy anywhere. Great move from musk removing USAID website so people who only heard of USAID by name cannot go and see what projects they were actually supporting. It has ripple effects on contractors worldwide, but also on US manufacturers and consultants / contractors here. USAID projects had to procure US made IT and other items. Well, guess now China with the silk and road initiative, their influence, and procurement preferences will swoop in where the US stopped.

Meant road and belt initiative. This opinion expresses it well:
https://news.cornell.edu/media-relations/tip-sheets/usaid-closure-only-winners-are-china-and-russia

Thank you posting the link. I have no doubt that you find that opinion sincerely insightful. In a similar vein, I find it wholly unpersuasive.

I don’t want to be in a civilizational struggle with China and Russia. I don’t care if China, Russia, Nigeria, Mexico or Poland are the “winners”. I am not sure anybody can fully articulate the price of “winning” or the prize for “winning”.

I really don’t care about sponsoring foreign students in the US as some glorified form of cultural exchange or extension of US soft power.

I DO care about sponsoring American students in the USA.

I REALLY care about my teenage son and preteen son never being drafted into some meaningless war over meaningless land in far off places because people like the professor think global civilizational struggles are important. We tried that garbage in the 1960s/70s because people were afraid the USSR was going to be the “winner” in some small meaningless strip of jungle in Southeast Asia. How did that work out?

Give me fortress America. For those of you that really care about Russia and China winning or losing, please, please sign your sons and daughters up to fight and wear that risk. Don’t drag the rest of us into your empire building and glory seeking.

Maybe you are not, but russia and china absolutely are.

Why does this matter so much to you that we must put American lives and resources at risk? Why is worldwide civilizational struggle so important to you? Why would you risk American lives to fight wars over what exactly…Who is the worldwide leader?

I truly don’t understand this or the tangible benefits to our country of these entanglements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why were taxpayers forced to fund DEI in Serbia? Who approved that lunacy?

You know what this has done? This has forced me to look into where exactly USAID funding has gone. I naively thought it was solely dedicated to funding "basic necessities" in 3rd world countries in need of "aid" related to housing, food, basic medical care.

I found this article: https://www.washingtonblade.com/2022/11/02/usaid-highlights-work-to-promote-lgbtq-intersex-rights-in-latin-america-caribbean/

I believe in LGBTQ+ rights and all that....BUT....this is NOT what USAID funding should be used for. Neither should USAID funding be used for anything related to DEI programs or any other programs that are not truly deemed "basic necessities" -- healthcare aid should be limited to the very basics needed.

+1 The average American taxpayer agrees with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make no mistake. MAGA wants USAID destroyed because of Russian propaganda.

Please clarify, as your post is unclear. Was USAID promoting democracy and free markets inside Russia or is that claim Russian propaganda?

I doubt USAID were active in russia by the time of that tweet. But russia was and still is allergic to any democracy anywhere. Great move from musk removing USAID website so people who only heard of USAID by name cannot go and see what projects they were actually supporting. It has ripple effects on contractors worldwide, but also on US manufacturers and consultants / contractors here. USAID projects had to procure US made IT and other items. Well, guess now China with the silk and road initiative, their influence, and procurement preferences will swoop in where the US stopped.

Let’s ignore timing. Was USAID at some point during Putin’s rule promoting democracy and other initiatives that Putin/some Russians found objectionable?

Belt and Road has been running circles around American diplomatic/development efforts for years. I doubt the latest developments under Trump are going to materially change the status quo.

USAID absolutely was promoting democracy and free speech, free press and things that Putin wanted shut down, because they were a threat to his authoritarian rule. And make no mistake that a lot of the anti-USAID rhetoric coming out of MAGA mouths today found its way there via the Kremlin, whether those MAGAs repeating the rhetoric realize it or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make no mistake. MAGA wants USAID destroyed because of Russian propaganda.

Please clarify, as your post is unclear. Was USAID promoting democracy and free markets inside Russia or is that claim Russian propaganda?

I doubt USAID were active in russia by the time of that tweet. But russia was and still is allergic to any democracy anywhere. Great move from musk removing USAID website so people who only heard of USAID by name cannot go and see what projects they were actually supporting. It has ripple effects on contractors worldwide, but also on US manufacturers and consultants / contractors here. USAID projects had to procure US made IT and other items. Well, guess now China with the silk and road initiative, their influence, and procurement preferences will swoop in where the US stopped.

Meant road and belt initiative. This opinion expresses it well:
https://news.cornell.edu/media-relations/tip-sheets/usaid-closure-only-winners-are-china-and-russia

Thank you posting the link. I have no doubt that you find that opinion sincerely insightful. In a similar vein, I find it wholly unpersuasive.

I don’t want to be in a civilizational struggle with China and Russia. I don’t care if China, Russia, Nigeria, Mexico or Poland are the “winners”. I am not sure anybody can fully articulate the price of “winning” or the prize for “winning”.

I really don’t care about sponsoring foreign students in the US as some glorified form of cultural exchange or extension of US soft power.

I DO care about sponsoring American students in the USA.

I REALLY care about my teenage son and preteen son never being drafted into some meaningless war over meaningless land in far off places because people like the professor think global civilizational struggles are important. We tried that garbage in the 1960s/70s because people were afraid the USSR was going to be the “winner” in some small meaningless strip of jungle in Southeast Asia. How did that work out?

Give me fortress America. For those of you that really care about Russia and China winning or losing, please, please sign your sons and daughters up to fight and wear that risk. Don’t drag the rest of us into your empire building and glory seeking.

Maybe you are not, but russia and china absolutely are.

Why does this matter so much to you that we must put American lives and resources at risk? Why is worldwide civilizational struggle so important to you? Why would you risk American lives to fight wars over what exactly…Who is the worldwide leader?

I truly don’t understand this or the tangible benefits to our country of these entanglements.

USAID keeps us out of wars. It keeps illegal immigration down. It provides markets for US goods.

When we send food and drugs to these countries, who do you imagine is receiving the money? It’s Americans. American farmers and American pharma. Just like defense benefits American companies.

It’s fine to question that but it’s never been a secret and Musk is taking illegal action. Needs to go through congress.