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To highlight what is happening to US Foreign Aid?

133 replies

Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:04

Elon Musk's taskforce have not just shut down NSAID (United States Agency for International Development) but are starting to actively erase its' existence.

Pressed about his support for USAID during his first term in office, Trump said he loved the “concept” but not the execution of the agency’s mission.
“They turn out to be radical left lunatics. And the concept of it is good, but it’s all about the people,” he said.

USAID logos and photos showing the humanitarian work the agency does around the globe were removed from its offices last week, multiple sources familiar with the situation told CNN.

“All of the visuals have been taken down. These are like large-scale photos of our work in developing countries that are in our lobbies, in our galleys, in communal kitchens, hallways,” a USAID employee said.

Another USAID worker told CNN: “They’ve taken the photos off the walls, and we’re missing half of our colleagues because our colleagues are gone and have been let go, and everyone sort of feels like they’re walking around with a target on their back.”

When asked if leaders in their department appeared to have any more information on the future of the agency’s work, the source said: “Our senior leaders have all been fired.”

Regardless of your position on Foreign Aid, this type of scorched-earth petty bullying of dissidents has to be intolerable?

So much slipping through the cracks with the barrage of Executive Orders, all entirely by design.

This is all feels like banana republic / post communist block stuff, ignoring the more worrying parallels.

AIBU to feel comparisons to historic dictatorships are becoming increasingly valid, hyperbole aside? All live and on social media for our kids to watch.

Rubio says he’s acting director of USAID as humanitarian agency is taken over by the State Department | CNN Politics

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday that he is acting administrator the US Agency for International Development, confirming the de-facto takeover of the humanitarian agency by the State Department.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/03/politics/usaid-washington-workers/index.html

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Viviennemary · 04/02/2025 16:27

Like it or not Trump is President. Ten thousand folk employed to administer foreign aid. Madness. About time this was tackled.

Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:27

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Careful

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Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:26

LolaPeony · 04/02/2025 16:14

Why on earth are you posting on AIBU about this? If you want to obsess about the politics of another country that you have no ability to influence, do it on the Politics forum.

From the point in 2015 when Trump announced he was running for President, through to about 2022, I worried about US politics obsessively, particularly during the election campaigns. But then I just decided to stop - my worrying wasn’t changing anything or helping anyone. I was just making myself miserable.

I paid no attention whatsoever to the presidential campaign last year, and was much happier for it.

Plus, they’re just merging USAID with the State Department, which is exactly what our government did years ago when they merged the Department for International Development with the Foreign Office, and the sky didn’t fall in.

I'm amazed by people minimising this shit, pretending it has nothing to do with us and telling me to 'be quiet'.

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LifeExperience · 04/02/2025 16:25

USAID has been paying for a lot more than foreign aid. Huge amounts of money was diverted to pay Americans for various things that were not within USAID's remit to the tunes of millions, if not billions of dollars. It's a corrupt money cesspit that needs to be eliminated. It is being put under the Secretary of State where foreign aid belongs.

WallaceinAnderland · 04/02/2025 16:20

Maybe try a US based site? I know a lot of mumsnet members are from or in the US but I don't think they're responsible for government policies.

devastatedagain · 04/02/2025 16:15

This reply has been deleted

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LolaPeony · 04/02/2025 16:14

Why on earth are you posting on AIBU about this? If you want to obsess about the politics of another country that you have no ability to influence, do it on the Politics forum.

From the point in 2015 when Trump announced he was running for President, through to about 2022, I worried about US politics obsessively, particularly during the election campaigns. But then I just decided to stop - my worrying wasn’t changing anything or helping anyone. I was just making myself miserable.

I paid no attention whatsoever to the presidential campaign last year, and was much happier for it.

Plus, they’re just merging USAID with the State Department, which is exactly what our government did years ago when they merged the Department for International Development with the Foreign Office, and the sky didn’t fall in.

TheaBrandt · 04/02/2025 16:07

What are we supposed to do about this ? It’s not even our government doing it. Sorry but I am getting to saturation point with all this it’s very demoralising,