It is probably too early to affirm that Elon Musk has the blood of babies in their hands to effectively close the most consistent foreign aid agency in the United States. But trust me: he will.
According to Musk's orders, the work of the United States Agency for International Development has been arrested. Thousands of their administrators, workers and contractors have been thrown out of work, their suspended programs for Who-Knaws-How-Long and their website no longer work.
“We are closing it,” Musk said Monday. “You must basically get rid of the whole matter. It is out of repair. “
I suppose the musk, the unique and not appropriate billionaire bureaucrat in charge of cutting federal expenditure, and its boss, President Trump, is betting that most Americans will not care about things that happen abroad. The voters were in isolationist humor when they gave Trump a second term. And most of us only have a viewpoint of USAID, which offers humanitarian aid to developing nations besieged by conflicts, diseases and natural disaster worldwide. With a budget of around $ 40 billion, USAID is also the largest food assistance provider in the world, which, to put in terms, even musk could group, means that it saves the life of malnourished babies.
But, surprise, Americans care. On Wednesday, the pro-USAID demonstrations took place in the Capitol of the State throughout the country. In Washington, DC, where Usaid has its headquarters and many of its workers and contractors live, thousands went to protest the abrupt and potentially illegal movement of Musk.
Detractors may wonder what the agency does, but a better question is what No do it?
Founded during the Kennedy administration to counteract Soviet influence, Usaid has helped Ukraine in his fight against Russia, worked to ensure that the elections are free and fair and, collaborated with partners in 100 countries around the world, they relieved poverty, the hunger, disease and despair. Finiza independent activists of foreign media and civil society, moving forward world freedom and security. And almost all that has stopped abruptly.
The New York Times reported that Trump's administration stop order for all organizations funded by USAID leaves thousands of people “with drugs and experimental devices in their bodies without access to monitoring or attention.”
Like any massive agency, USAID suffers a certain degree of waste, fraud and abuse. The agency's inspector general also recently presented his concerns about a frustrating lack of cooperation from the United Nations with USAID and the recommended changes.
But despite the problems that must be addressed, Usaid is the very incarnation of American soft power. It is simply the most persuasive peaceful tool we have to improve people's lives, spread democratic ideals and counteract the growing influence of China in Africa and South America.
Therefore, as you can imagine, the autocrats around the world are delighted to see it dismantled.
“Wrapped in the billions that the United States spends annually at foreign aid, more than any other nation, there are hundreds of grants for base groups dedicated to fighting for democracy in authoritarian countries around the world,” said Associated Press. The favorable reactions to the closure of the agency came from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Russia, the AP said: “Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in X that he hopes that the” deep state of the notorious does not swallow “to pull the agency.”
PROJECT 2025, The Heritage Foundation Blueprint for the Second Trump Administration, Devotes to Whole Chapter to Usaid, Accusing The Biden Administration of Allowing The Agency to Promote “A Radical Ideology” and a “Divisive Political and Cultural Agenda That Promotes Abortion, Climate Extremism, Gender radicalism and interventions against perceived systematic racism. “And, nevertheless, despite the absurd hyperbole, the 2025 project admits that the agency is crucial” to counteract the strategy of world domination of communist China. “
Musk called Usaid a “evil” criminal organization. ” Trump intervened in the sense that he is directed by “a lot of radical crazy.”
That is crazy. But it is not surprising, because, with apologies to “strangest things”, we are all living upside down at this time.
“The idea that this is a criminal company? Please, ”said Peter Kerndt, a public health doctor who recently spent five years in Mozambique working for a USAID contractor in a project to stop the propagation of tuberculosis. His work involved tracking, identifying and treating those infected with mortal disease. On January 28, he was dismissed abruptly.
“It's like a coup for the intestine,” said Kerndt, who worked for the Los Angeles County Public Health Department for 29 years before departing for USAID. “My God, Musk doesn't know the work that is being done. I think the richest man in the world has an agenda. “
Do you think?
Senator Chris Murphy advanced a plausible theory on Tuesday night in a video posted on Instagram. Musk, whose business is based on government contracts, is simply to “fill their pockets,” said Connecticut Democrat. He pointed out that Musk does half of his teslas in China, which is also its largest foreign market.
“He is in a row at this time with China because China does not allow him to market his autonomous vehicle, and they are trying to give advantage to their national autonomous product,” Murphy said. “How do you get in favor quickly with the Chinese government? Simantula the agency that is the largest spine on China. “
The Usaid inspector was also investigating how the Musk Spacex Starlink Satellink terminals, bought with agency funds, were used in the Ukraine War with Russia, although the details are scarce. The biographer Walter Isaacson wrote that Musk once cut the access of the Ukrainian army to Starlink to frustrate an attack of underwater drones against Russia. That is simply too much power for an individual to execute.
Maga Republicans can scream everything they want on the “awakening” agendas that we use export, but the conclusion is that the agency performs incredibly important work and saves lives.
I asked Dr. Kerndt why Americans should worry about the work he does to prevent and cure tuberculosis, which is often fatal if it is not treated and for which there is no vaccine.
“Tuberculosis affects young and healthy people,” he told me. “It is a catastrophic cost for these people, for the support of the family, for families. He has more in poverty. It is something that we can prevent for the cents of the dollar. And it is a source of immeasurable respect for the United States “
Throwing that good job to appease a children's billionaire will leave a lasting moral spot in this country.
Bluesky: @further.bsky.social. Rags: @rabcar
