We are witnessing the worst worst in the worst and expensive foreign policy in American history. In less than three weeks in Donald Trump’s second term, he, Elon Musk and Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio, have stopped US Agency for International Development Aid programs worldwide. In doing so, they have affected millions of lives, thousands of US jobs and billions of dollars in investment in US small businesses and fields, while has severely damaged our national security and global influence – while authoritarian and extremists have their fate. Celebrate.
I am surprised by the pleasant attack by our own government against USAID programs and government employees working on them. But after running the agency for four years, I am not surprised that the attack is being encouraged by Moscow and Beijing. They understand that those who want to end the agency are desperate to hide from the American people: USAID has become a US superpower in the world, which is explained by threats that cross the borders. And is between growing strategic competition.
The aid provided by USAID comes in many forms, and with less than 1 % of the US government’s total annual spending, it is not a cure for the world’s major challenges. Like all government agencies, this can be even more effective, and there was an attempt to make that I presented during my time. Nevertheless, most of the world’s population, USAID investment and work connect the fundamental (and often) with the United States.
Some investment lives almost Immediately rescues-such as medicines to 500,000 children with HIV, or food-rich foods in states like Rhod Eyland and Georgia that die of hungry children Pulls out of the edge. Of the $ 38 billion spent by USAID in fiscal year 2023, about $ 20 billion was for health programs (such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases) Torn region. Other USAID investments may seem less but pay a profit in the long term, such as providing girls an opportunity to study and enter the workforce, or increase the local economies.
Many important investments in the agency – such as helping to rebuild after ISIS or improving the ability to suppress the spread of deadly infectious diseases to poor countries – are very important for national security. And USAID is not yet monitoring the bird flu in 49 countries, as it was three weeks ago. It has stopped working with dangerous youth in Central America to prevent collective violence that affects migration. It is not clearing the poisonous fields through agent Orange in Vietnam. It is not eliminating polio. It is not cooperating with communities in countries like Syria, Morocco and Kazakhstan to reduce the threat of radicalism. The costs of eliminating these programs – and thus committing these disadvantages – will be felt for generations to come.
Indeed, the agency I just mentioned has no resemblance to the “radical left” and “criminal” phantom on which Mr Trump is killing. In addition to a widespread surveillance by Congress, USAID documentary documentary documentary on all its programs and costs online. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that one of the first men’s first acts to kill the agency was that USAID website Go in the dark
In fact, USAID has developed a vast reserves of political capital in more than 100 countries where it works, which makes it more likely when the United States applies to its leaders – for example, To send peacekeepers to the war zone, when to help, sending peace keeper to the war zone, an American company enters a new market, or handed over an offender to the United States – more likely That’s yes to say yes.
It has been partially explained that attacks on USAID work are being welcomed from within the US government. As a US Administrator, in our tenure, we saw a significant increase in attacks on China and Russia’s agency. Last April, Chinese government Affluent In a 20 -page attack on USAID’s work, false claims were offered about how the United States demonstrated negligence, committed numerous misconduct and committed numerous crimes. “In the last six months of the Biden administration, we document more than 80 foreign propaganda campaigns to target USAID work in local languages ​​in every region of the world.
After expanding his partnership in the Pacific in 2023, the Chinese and Russian -backed media spread their information before the 2024 general elections in the island of Suleiman. False claims have suggested that USAID plans to incite riots and to elect an electoral uprising. Russian intelligence Used A new media outlet called African move to eliminate US health programs in Africa, including those who have helped to twist the maize against diseases like HIV and malaria, and this claim What is the programs are secretly conducting biological tests.
USAID has enjoyed a strong bilateral cooperation in six decades since it was created by President John F. Kennedy, and was later authorized by Congress. During the last Trump administration, Republicans rejected their efforts to significantly reduce its budget, which now controlled the House and the Senate. Many of us in the Biden administration believed that senior national security officials in Mr Trump’s team, who saw how much China had become bold to increase its global investment and influence – and those who had this epidemic. Learn a severe lesson from diseases, which threatens that borders can pose a threat. Damage – It will recognize that USAID has become a ground game in US foreign policy.
In briefings and content we have provided to the incoming team, we also explain how USAID has recently increased its activities in areas that are particularly a threat to China and Russia. China was spent, and developing a framework for diversifying US supply chains and enhancing important imports of minerals in the United States – which is essential to strengthen the US economic future.
Secretary Rubio says there are parts of USAID work that should be preserved, but the administration on Thursday informed the staff that they intend to maintain only 290 out of 14,000 employees worldwide. Is USAID’s US staff and their families who are suddenly withdrawn from the field deserve so much better. Many people are deployed in the most dangerous regions of the world. More than 100 USAID staff has been killed in a duty line. Mr. Robio They say they have exempted some programs to continue, but massively .The means that these programs have been paralyzed. Many hungry and sick people who rely on USAID are at risk of dying.
Unless these cruel and very contradictory measures are reversed by the administration – or Republicans in Congress join the Democrats in an attempt to return them – the future generations will be surprised that these were not China’s actions. The American standing and ending global security, which paved the way, paved the way. Beijing to become a worldwide choice partner. Instead, he was an American president and a billionaire who prepared him first to shoot and later created his goal, ending an organization that is a cost -effective example of him that once Distinguish America from opponents.
