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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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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,

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.

devastatedagain · 04/02/2025 16:15

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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.

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.

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'.

OP posts:
Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:27

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Careful

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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 16:29

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.

It's not about the politics, it's about the general behaviour. And a perfectly legitimate topic for discussion.

"Hitler actually had some good ideas": Musk's covert coup is guided by the nastiest Twitter trolls

Musk's illegal government takeover is scary on its own, but the people he's bringing along are even worse

https://www.salon.com/2025/02/04/hitler-actually-had-some-good-ideas-musks-covert-coup-is-guided-by-internet/

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LifeExperience · 04/02/2025 16:30

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.

It was madness, especially since the forensic accountants have found that much of that money wasn't going anywhere but in corrupt American pockets. The whole US foreign aid system needs a complete overhaul.

Biden was incapacitated and a lot of corrupt shit was going on with no Presidential oversight. Not Biden's fault but it happened and it needs to be fixed.

littleblackcat247 · 04/02/2025 16:32

@LifeExperience Really? Wow - have you got a link as I'd be interested to read more about that

Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:33

Essentially this is targeting a tiny group of individuals, demonising them and literally taking their jobs.

We've been here before. And it certainly affected the UK then.

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Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 04/02/2025 16:34

It’s a terrible shame that the subsidy to the LGBTQ theatre group in WALES has been removed, so the Welsh will have to stump up for it. Ditto the Serbian literature on transition 😢….so sad.Maybe we could lobby our Government to take on this onerous but o so necessary function.

MillicentFaucet · 04/02/2025 16:36

Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:33

Essentially this is targeting a tiny group of individuals, demonising them and literally taking their jobs.

We've been here before. And it certainly affected the UK then.

When was this please?

(I really hope you're not comparing European jews to US federal employees)

LolaPeony · 04/02/2025 16:37

Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:33

Essentially this is targeting a tiny group of individuals, demonising them and literally taking their jobs.

We've been here before. And it certainly affected the UK then.

This is the system of government that the Americans have chosen. They have a politicised civil service, and as a result, they are always at risk of losing their jobs when new administrations come in and political priorities change.

In the UK, our civil service is permanent and impartial. The US’s is not.

And what do you think you are achieving by getting tetchy with your fellow Brits, who, just like you, have absolutely no ability to change any of this? If you find the news so distressing, you need better coping strategies. Picking fights with strangers online isn’t going to get you anywhere, and it won’t make a jot of difference to the outcome.

LolaPeony · 04/02/2025 16:39

Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:33

Essentially this is targeting a tiny group of individuals, demonising them and literally taking their jobs.

We've been here before. And it certainly affected the UK then.

Could you be specific about what you’re referring to? I have absolutely no idea.

LolaPeony · 04/02/2025 16:42

Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:26

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

And what are you achieving by ‘being loud’? What impact does a virtue signalling post in the wrong Mumsnet forum have?

If you want to make an actual difference, why don’t you pick a worthy cause that has been defunded because of these changes, and start fundraising for them?

Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:49

A flurry of personal attacks and condescending 'advice'.

What a surprise.

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Justcallmebebes · 04/02/2025 16:49

I think this is a good thing and the UK should do the same. Far too much money is wasted in foreign aid with no transparency or accountability.

I'm not against foreign aid per se, but millions of dollars are squandered and it's a massive gravy train

InveterateWineDrinker · 04/02/2025 16:50

I think it's quite valid to bring the shitshow in DC to wider attention. One thing I'd read about USAID is that Elon's goons had tried to gain access to restricted areas without having the appropriate security clearance. The security heads got fired for their trouble.

This is deeply, deeply troubling both for the US and for those parts of the world and human society which depended on USAID.

But worse than that, it's now part of the Trump 'playbook' and there is a range of politicians - in office and thankfully nowhere near yet, starting with our own Nigel - across Europe who are quite happy to follow the playbook if it gets them elected.

I've been around the block and have a bachelor's in Government and Political Science. The last two weeks have been deeply, deeply unnerving even from this side of the Atlantic.

LastTrainsEast · 04/02/2025 16:51

OP might want to look at what they were doing with the money.

There are two things here.

  1. a corrupt organisation that held back a lot of the money and/or used it for their own purposes. That had to be destroyed because when it's that bad sending a memo round won't cut it.

Apparently they actively resisted the freeze and tried to circumvent it and now are screaming "don't look at our records!"

  1. The realisation by US citizens that it's not their job to pay everyone else's bills. Especially when the country has the money, but is spending it on arms or luxuries for its leaders.Traditionally the US has heaped money onto people who then march and pray for the destruction of America. Now they will have the chance to channel that energy (and those prayers) into growing food and such.
Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:54

InveterateWineDrinker · 04/02/2025 16:50

I think it's quite valid to bring the shitshow in DC to wider attention. One thing I'd read about USAID is that Elon's goons had tried to gain access to restricted areas without having the appropriate security clearance. The security heads got fired for their trouble.

This is deeply, deeply troubling both for the US and for those parts of the world and human society which depended on USAID.

But worse than that, it's now part of the Trump 'playbook' and there is a range of politicians - in office and thankfully nowhere near yet, starting with our own Nigel - across Europe who are quite happy to follow the playbook if it gets them elected.

I've been around the block and have a bachelor's in Government and Political Science. The last two weeks have been deeply, deeply unnerving even from this side of the Atlantic.

Unelected and unaccountable.

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Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:54

I'm deeply worried and I'd like to talk to people about it. That isn't virtue signalling and the shutdown posts are entirely predictable.

Anyone aggrieved can choose not to engage, if they have nothing to say.

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Holdonforsummer · 04/02/2025 16:55

I think you are right to be upset OP but I also understand that people here in the UK struggle to be upset/outraged about everything going on in the world, we are saturated. However, it is shocking: my friend works for the foreign office and she is telling me SHOCKING stories about how this abrupt end of aid is going to impact very poor, very vulnerable people. We will definitely see the repercussions of this in terms of a rise in communicable diseases/women and children dying/asylum applications skyrocketing. I am sickened too, OP.

Locutus2000 · 04/02/2025 16:58

Holdonforsummer · 04/02/2025 16:55

I think you are right to be upset OP but I also understand that people here in the UK struggle to be upset/outraged about everything going on in the world, we are saturated. However, it is shocking: my friend works for the foreign office and she is telling me SHOCKING stories about how this abrupt end of aid is going to impact very poor, very vulnerable people. We will definitely see the repercussions of this in terms of a rise in communicable diseases/women and children dying/asylum applications skyrocketing. I am sickened too, OP.

People here in the UK struggle to be upset/outraged about everything going on in the world, we are saturated.

Fair point, but those that can't cope should move on, not feel the need to try and shut down discussion with ad-hominem attacks.

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