8 ms·

What's Elon's beef with USAID? I would think he would go after something like food stamps first owing to his libertarian ethos. Maybe he sees USAID as a complet

by ksynwa 2y ago

What's Elon's beef with USAID? I would think he would go after something like food stamps first owing to his libertarian ethos. Maybe he sees USAID as a completely benevolent handout and a waste of money? I cannot begin to understand why.

hnhg 2y ago
Perhaps he wants the budget reallocated to something he has more financial interest in and control over? Or something like that for Thiel or others?
Terr_ 2y ago
They'll work their way up to anti-constitutional attacks on everything else if they get a chance, USAID is their starting point because it's a softer target in a few ways: 1. The people who'll suffer or die from their mal-management will generally be faraway foreigners, as opposed to people voters know. 2. More of the victims have a much more difficult time launching any kind of lawsuit in US courts. 3. It has a small veneer of Presidential-involvement-ness due to its proximity to diplomacy and foreign relations. 4. Like tariffs, being able to withhold aid allows Trump to commit extortion against other countries, much like how he was impeached for extorting Ukraine in his first term.
- techorange 2y ago
  Ironically USAID might help Americans more than foreign folks, and disproportionately Trump’s own supporters - if the money is being spent to buy American products, particularly food, that is then shipped overseas.
cgcrob 2y ago
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deleted 2y ago
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sen 2y ago
> U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID): The USAID Inspector General initiated a probe into Starlink satellite terminals provided to the Government of Ukraine From a House Committee report matching Elon’s actions to agencies he has personal issues with: https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/2025.02.13_fact_sheet_re_musk_investigations.pdf https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/2025.02....
- deleted 2y ago
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danparsonson 2y ago
An easy win with his rabid xenophobic fan base? A soft target to hurt his opponents and distract from other terrible things they're doing?
deleted 2y ago
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deleted 2y ago
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unsnap_biceps 2y ago
USAID was funding the StarLink deployment in Ukraine and was reexamining the deal[1], likely to try to negotiate a cheaper plan or to reduce the funding. My opinion is that it likely hit his ego a bit and it was a really sweet deal for StarLink, so losing out on it would suck. [1] https://www.newsweek.com/usaid-elon-musk-starlink-probe-ukraine-2027054 https://www.newsweek.com/usaid-elon-musk-starlink-probe-ukra...
- scarab92 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - obl1que 2y ago
    Musk is petty, though. Remember "pedo guy?" Given that, your retort inadvertently supports the GP.
  - maxden 2y ago
    It may not be the monetary amount but the message it sends. Mess with me and Ill shut you down.
    - scarab92 2y ago
      Unlikely. No one really cares about temporary low-value ad-hoc arrangements like the one between Starlink and USAID. It's too small to matter. The FAA and EPA have been much much bigger headaches for Musk. USAID was just a juicy target, since it was essentially a slush fund.
  - Martinussen 2y ago
    Calling a guy a pedophile repeatedly because you made yourself look stupid getting excited about your cool submarine and how awesome everyone will think you are when you save some kids wasn't really worth much money either. I don't think Musk has the self-control to think like that, honestly.
  - matwood 2y ago
    It had little to do with the contract size. Starlink was being investigated to determine how the Russians were getting/using them. https://www.newsweek.com/usaid-elon-musk-starlink-probe-ukraine-2027054 https://www.newsweek.com/usaid-elon-musk-starlink-probe-ukra... This raises a potential conflict of interest, as Musk's company was under investigation by USAID shortly before he began calling for the shutdown. Starlink's activity in Eastern Europe has been criticized, with many Russian operatives claiming to have access to Starlink despite Musk's assurances that only Ukraine was using the service. Additionally, in September last year, Ukrainian forces downed a Russian drone that had a Starlink terminal integrated with its systems, raising questions as to how secure Starlink's operations during the Ukraine war are.
matteotom 2y ago
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deleted 2y ago
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Marazan 2y ago
USAID is a bogeyman agency in far-right conspiracy circles. Musk gets his world view from far-right conspiracists.
- DanielHB 2y ago
  Funny thing is that kind of government foreign aid is the kind of soft-power over smaller countries thing that right-wingers politicians love, or at least used to. Similar to the BS that China pulls with the belt and road initiative (but probably not as bad in most instances). Basically give/loan money, get international political support back. Use political support to bully international institutions (UN, WTO, WHO, etc) to do what you want. I guess soft-power is not enough anymore, they want all the power.
  - ZeroGravitas 2y ago
    Marco Rubio has been very vocal on his support for USAID for years if you want to see what the traditional right wing take on this has been. "Critical to our security" etc. And he is of course in charge of the smoking remains of it now.
    - troupo 2y ago
      The "traditional right wing" has been vocal about many things over the years. Nearly every single one has bent their knee.
      - amanaplanacanal 2y ago
        Conservatism is pretty much dead in the US. It's all about cults of personality and grievance now. Oh, and of course, graft.
        soraminazuki 2y ago
        Conservatism before Trump was George W Bush, and while they're very different, it definitely wasn't all sunshine and roses. I don't remember a time in my lifetime when conservatism represented anything good.
rl3 2y ago
>What's Elon's beef with USAID? They were investigating Starlink: https://oig.usaid.gov/node/6814 https://oig.usaid.gov/node/6814
- ConfusedDog 2y ago
  By the look of it, they were investigating how Ukraine use of Starlink provided to them. You make a great journalist. lol.
  - rl3 2y ago
    Thanks. Admittedly "Probably something to do with Starlink" would've been more accurate. https://web.archive.org/web/20250101100055/https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/apr-05-2022-usaid-safeguards-internet-access-ukraine-through-public-private-partnership-spacex https://web.archive.org/web/20250101100055/https://www.usaid... That's now removed from the live website. Point being, it's a little strange USAID was immediately targeted for destruction with extreme prejudice by the same man providing the terminals. Especially given their contentious history: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66752264 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66752264
    - ConfusedDog 2y ago
      I'm not refuting Musk probably hate them like all other regulators or might take advantage of getting into like FAA's operation. It's been obvious on both sides of the aisle. Is USAID corrupt? I think so, foreign money is the most difficult to track. Is FAA technology and management sucks? I believe that, too. Many things can be true at the same time. Since no body can fix it before Musk got his butt in started farting, why are people not benefiting from the kickbacks or inefficiencies complaining is beyond me.
      - rl3 2y ago
        >Is USAID corrupt? I think so, ... Yeah wow, so corrupt. /s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Agency_for_International_Development https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Agency_for_Inter... https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-usaid-official-calls-closure-extinction-level-event/story?id=118422085 https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-usaid-official-calls-closur... https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2q13113wwo https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2q13113wwo
throwawaymaths 2y ago
what's with people not having beef with USAID? It's done so many crazy and bad things, for example: USAID funded the hepatitis vaccination drive that the CIA used as a cover for espionage against the bin laden family, leading to polio outbreak in pakistan. https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/he-led-cia-bin-laden-and-unwittingly-fueled-vaccine-backlash https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/he-led-cia-bin-laden-and-... Distaste for USAID in any other time would be bipartisan; the Clinton Administration floated shuttering it too. If you go to DC a lot of insiders will say, 'yeah, USAID's got to go'.
- rhcom2 2y ago
  This seems like a criticism of the CIA, not USAID, no? > The decision to enlist Afridi was probably made by the CIA station chief in Islamabad and was passed on to the Counterterrorism Center back in Langley.
  - throwawaymaths 2y ago
    don't fool yourself. USAID had the power to stop this.
    - gambiting 2y ago
      What makes you think so, exactly? It's not like CIA would let everyone within the organisation know they are doing it. Do you think USAID could just say no to CIA?
      - throwawaymaths 2y ago
        IF YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH LYING TO PEOPLE AND NOT ADMINISTERING VACCINES AND DOING DNA TESTS, THEN IT IS YOUR INDVIDUAL DUTY TO STOP YOUR ORG FROM CONTINUING.
        gambiting 2y ago
        ....what happened with your capslock? Again, do you think the head of USAID could have just told the head of CIA "no we're not doing this"? What makes you think they were informed at all? That's kind of the entire MO of CIA - they don't inform other agencies what they are doing when it concerns national security, they just go and do it.
mbrumlow 2y ago
My understanding is USAID was one of those organizations thet refused to pause spending when Trump lawfully asked all agencies to stop spending (it was a 90 day hold, not a outright denial, only congress can do that). Agencies that should adhere to trumps orders went to the top.
- troupo 2y ago
  > refused to pause spending when Trump lawfully asked all agencies to stop spending How do you imagine any agency to "stop spending"? Are salaries not to be paid? Are contracts not to be fulfilled? Are rents not to be paid?
jpcom 2y ago
Scenario: You give someone $40B to feed people, and $1B actually feeds them while $39B vanishes into overhead and ideological reprogramming. Then they tell you they need more. If this is success, what does failure look like?
- troupo 2y ago
  And you have the proof for these numbers, or are they pulled out of Elon's behind?
  - Ray20 2y ago
    I have my own experience. As a non-American, I know a lot of hungry people. And I have never heard of any help for them from USAID. And who do you think received help from USAID out of all those I have encountered and ever heard about? Only left-leaning democrat's shield "independent" journalists, whose job mostly consist of ideological reprogramming and who now scream all over twitter how Trump destroys their lives. ONLY. So yes, I don't have any numbers, but I'm used to trusting my own eyes. And what I see (on this particular issue) is way more consistent with what Musk says than with what his opponents say.
    - troupo 2y ago
      > And I have never heard of any help for them from USAID Personal anecdotes are never a good proof of anything. > So yes, I don't have any numbers, but I'm used to trusting my own eyes. So you don't believe in viruses bacteria to name just a few things you can't see with your own eyes? USAID had many programs, only a number which where about helping the poor, and it's possible those didn't specifically target your country. E.g. between the poor and hungry people in Moldova (my own native country) and in Sudan USAID would probably chose those in Sudan (what with war and genocide and...). And they might chose to support businesses in Moldova instead (and they did). I'm not saying it's a perfect program devoid of any corruption. What I'm saying I can come up with as many bogus numbers, and with as many personal anecdotes as the next guy. And Elon sure as hell resists any attempts to shed light on his activities and claims. > Only left-leaning democrat's shield "independent" journalists, whose job mostly consist of ideological reprogramming and who now scream all over twitter how Trump destroys their lives. ONLY. Do you think they do that because they lost funding, or because, say, China or Russia stepped into the void with literally the same support programs?
jonp888 2y ago
Eliminating foreign aid seems to be a common cause of neo-conservative movements. Boris Johnson shut down the British equivalent(Department for International Development) and scrapped the commitment to spend 0.7% of GDP on aid. It's simplistic, drastic and brings no specific domestic effect which could be a rallying point for unrest. It's also very easy to come up with rage bait stories of corruption and waste as justification, because in any organisation spending billions of dollars around the world you will always be to find something ridiculous that got funding, even though the proportion of the budget it represents is insignificant.
- astroid 2y ago
  Lol you clearly have no idea what a 'neo-conservative' is or their history. Neo-Conservatives were a branch of Democrat wark-hawks who wanted to police the world, that were upset about the pacifist attitude of the Democrats at the time - they emerged in the 60's and managed to largely take control of the Republican party moving forward, peaking under George W Bush. Their founding principal was "Peace Through Strength" and have a strong belief in worldwide interventionism. If you think the 'MAGA' / 'Trump' party is neo-conservative you literally just are ignoring the entire history, the power struggle (which Trump won) to retake the party from the Neo-Cons, and the fact that the trump admin is largely isolationist and opposed to being the world police. Don't get me wrong there are still some neo-cons in office and with roles in his admin, but the republican infighting can be summarized as neocon vs MAGA. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism https://www.britannica.com/topic/neoconservatism https://www.britannica.com/topic/neoconservatism Words mean things. The MAGE/America First party is focused on non-interventionism, advocate against regime change abroad, with a focus on America and it's interest rather than the endless wars. You can debate the success or merit of that approach I guess, but the Neo-Cons are very happy to provide foreign aid as it is core to their ideology. They tend to do it via NED while the left uses USAID more (although both use both, but they each have lean in one direction). Just for fun, I just tried this little experiment you can try to: " CoPilot: Can you rationally describe Trump as a neocon? CoPilot: No, it would not be accurate to rationally state that Donald Trump is a neoconservative (neocon). Here are some key differences: Foreign Policy: Neocons: Advocate for interventionist foreign policies, promoting democracy and regime change abroad. Trump: Emphasizes “America First” policies, focusing on non-interventionism, reducing military engagements abroad, and prioritizing domestic issues. Military Engagement: Neocons: Support maintaining strong international alliances and a significant military presence globally. Trump: Criticized NATO, praised authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin, and negotiated troop withdrawals from conflict zones like Afghanistan. Economic Policies: Neocons: Generally support free trade and globalization. Trump: Advocates for economic nationalism, including tariffs and renegotiating trade deals to favor American interests. These differences highlight that Trump’s policies and ideology do not align with neoconservative principles. If you have any more questions or need further details, feel free to ask! "
deleted 2y ago
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lucasRW 2y ago
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- wat10000 2y ago
  Is that something they did, or is it something you imagine they did because you’re too credulous of right-wing propaganda?
rsynnott 2y ago
‘Libertarian ethos’. The guy who’s hoovering up personal data on behalf of a guy who just claimed to be king, that one? Like, how are we defining ‘libertarian’ here?
- ksynwa 2y ago
  I didn't mean it too seriously. Just with regard to how one point in the ideology is about governments being small and how DOGE is at least in rhetoric trying to fire federal employees en masse.
- tokai 2y ago
  libertarian / ˌlɪbəˈtɛərɪən / noun 1) an idiot
intended 2y ago
Collateral damage.
jeffbee 2y ago
He actually wants black Africans to die from AIDS.
Workaccount2 2y ago
It's more likely it came from Trump instead of Elon. Trump is an isolationist and has long complained about money being spent abroad rather than at home.
mindslight 2y ago
The only thing "libertarian" about Musk is his extreme interest in his own freedom - everyone else's be damned.
imperial_march 2y ago
Less than 10% went to the needy. Most of the rest was either wasteful, political or a chain of NGOs performing kickbacks. They were funding censorship campaigns on American citizens etc

by ksynwa 2y ago

hnhg 2y ago

Perhaps he wants the budget reallocated to something he has more financial interest in and control over? Or something like that for Thiel or others?

Terr_ 2y ago

They'll work their way up to anti-constitutional attacks on everything else if they get a chance, USAID is their starting point because it's a softer target in a few ways: 1. The people who'll suffer or die from their mal-management will generally be faraway foreigners, as opposed to people voters know. 2. More of the victims have a much more difficult time launching any kind of lawsuit in US courts. 3. It has a small veneer of Presidential-involvement-ness due to its proximity to diplomacy and foreign relations. 4. Like tariffs, being able to withhold aid allows Trump to commit extortion against other countries, much like how he was impeached for extorting Ukraine in his first term.

techorange 2y ago
Ironically USAID might help Americans more than foreign folks, and disproportionately Trump’s own supporters - if the money is being spent to buy American products, particularly food, that is then shipped overseas.

cgcrob 2y ago

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deleted 2y ago

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sen 2y ago

> U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID): The USAID Inspector General initiated a probe into Starlink satellite terminals provided to the Government of Ukraine From a House Committee report matching Elon’s actions to agencies he has personal issues with: https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/2025.02.13_fact_sheet_re_musk_investigations.pdf https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/2025.02....

deleted 2y ago
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danparsonson 2y ago

An easy win with his rabid xenophobic fan base? A soft target to hurt his opponents and distract from other terrible things they're doing?

deleted 2y ago

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deleted 2y ago

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unsnap_biceps 2y ago

USAID was funding the StarLink deployment in Ukraine and was reexamining the deal[1], likely to try to negotiate a cheaper plan or to reduce the funding. My opinion is that it likely hit his ego a bit and it was a really sweet deal for StarLink, so losing out on it would suck. [1] https://www.newsweek.com/usaid-elon-musk-starlink-probe-ukraine-2027054 https://www.newsweek.com/usaid-elon-musk-starlink-probe-ukra...

scarab92 2y ago
[flagged]
- obl1que 2y ago
  Musk is petty, though. Remember "pedo guy?" Given that, your retort inadvertently supports the GP.
- maxden 2y ago
  It may not be the monetary amount but the message it sends. Mess with me and Ill shut you down.
  - scarab92 2y ago
    Unlikely. No one really cares about temporary low-value ad-hoc arrangements like the one between Starlink and USAID. It's too small to matter. The FAA and EPA have been much much bigger headaches for Musk. USAID was just a juicy target, since it was essentially a slush fund.
- Martinussen 2y ago
  Calling a guy a pedophile repeatedly because you made yourself look stupid getting excited about your cool submarine and how awesome everyone will think you are when you save some kids wasn't really worth much money either. I don't think Musk has the self-control to think like that, honestly.
- matwood 2y ago
  It had little to do with the contract size. Starlink was being investigated to determine how the Russians were getting/using them. https://www.newsweek.com/usaid-elon-musk-starlink-probe-ukraine-2027054 https://www.newsweek.com/usaid-elon-musk-starlink-probe-ukra... This raises a potential conflict of interest, as Musk's company was under investigation by USAID shortly before he began calling for the shutdown. Starlink's activity in Eastern Europe has been criticized, with many Russian operatives claiming to have access to Starlink despite Musk's assurances that only Ukraine was using the service. Additionally, in September last year, Ukrainian forces downed a Russian drone that had a Starlink terminal integrated with its systems, raising questions as to how secure Starlink's operations during the Ukraine war are.

matteotom 2y ago

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deleted 2y ago

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Marazan 2y ago

USAID is a bogeyman agency in far-right conspiracy circles. Musk gets his world view from far-right conspiracists.

DanielHB 2y ago
Funny thing is that kind of government foreign aid is the kind of soft-power over smaller countries thing that right-wingers politicians love, or at least used to. Similar to the BS that China pulls with the belt and road initiative (but probably not as bad in most instances). Basically give/loan money, get international political support back. Use political support to bully international institutions (UN, WTO, WHO, etc) to do what you want. I guess soft-power is not enough anymore, they want all the power.
- ZeroGravitas 2y ago
  Marco Rubio has been very vocal on his support for USAID for years if you want to see what the traditional right wing take on this has been. "Critical to our security" etc. And he is of course in charge of the smoking remains of it now.
  - troupo 2y ago
    The "traditional right wing" has been vocal about many things over the years. Nearly every single one has bent their knee.
    - amanaplanacanal 2y ago
      Conservatism is pretty much dead in the US. It's all about cults of personality and grievance now. Oh, and of course, graft.
      - soraminazuki 2y ago
        Conservatism before Trump was George W Bush, and while they're very different, it definitely wasn't all sunshine and roses. I don't remember a time in my lifetime when conservatism represented anything good.

rl3 2y ago

>What's Elon's beef with USAID? They were investigating Starlink: https://oig.usaid.gov/node/6814 https://oig.usaid.gov/node/6814

ConfusedDog 2y ago
By the look of it, they were investigating how Ukraine use of Starlink provided to them. You make a great journalist. lol.
- rl3 2y ago
  Thanks. Admittedly "Probably something to do with Starlink" would've been more accurate. https://web.archive.org/web/20250101100055/https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/apr-05-2022-usaid-safeguards-internet-access-ukraine-through-public-private-partnership-spacex https://web.archive.org/web/20250101100055/https://www.usaid... That's now removed from the live website. Point being, it's a little strange USAID was immediately targeted for destruction with extreme prejudice by the same man providing the terminals. Especially given their contentious history: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66752264 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66752264
  - ConfusedDog 2y ago
    I'm not refuting Musk probably hate them like all other regulators or might take advantage of getting into like FAA's operation. It's been obvious on both sides of the aisle. Is USAID corrupt? I think so, foreign money is the most difficult to track. Is FAA technology and management sucks? I believe that, too. Many things can be true at the same time. Since no body can fix it before Musk got his butt in started farting, why are people not benefiting from the kickbacks or inefficiencies complaining is beyond me.
    - rl3 2y ago
      >Is USAID corrupt? I think so, ... Yeah wow, so corrupt. /s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Agency_for_International_Development https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Agency_for_Inter... https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-usaid-official-calls-closure-extinction-level-event/story?id=118422085 https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-usaid-official-calls-closur... https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2q13113wwo https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2q13113wwo

throwawaymaths 2y ago

what's with people not having beef with USAID? It's done so many crazy and bad things, for example: USAID funded the hepatitis vaccination drive that the CIA used as a cover for espionage against the bin laden family, leading to polio outbreak in pakistan. https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/he-led-cia-bin-laden-and-unwittingly-fueled-vaccine-backlash https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/he-led-cia-bin-laden-and-... Distaste for USAID in any other time would be bipartisan; the Clinton Administration floated shuttering it too. If you go to DC a lot of insiders will say, 'yeah, USAID's got to go'.

rhcom2 2y ago
This seems like a criticism of the CIA, not USAID, no? > The decision to enlist Afridi was probably made by the CIA station chief in Islamabad and was passed on to the Counterterrorism Center back in Langley.
- throwawaymaths 2y ago
  don't fool yourself. USAID had the power to stop this.
  - gambiting 2y ago
    What makes you think so, exactly? It's not like CIA would let everyone within the organisation know they are doing it. Do you think USAID could just say no to CIA?
    - throwawaymaths 2y ago
      IF YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH LYING TO PEOPLE AND NOT ADMINISTERING VACCINES AND DOING DNA TESTS, THEN IT IS YOUR INDVIDUAL DUTY TO STOP YOUR ORG FROM CONTINUING.
      - gambiting 2y ago
        ....what happened with your capslock? Again, do you think the head of USAID could have just told the head of CIA "no we're not doing this"? What makes you think they were informed at all? That's kind of the entire MO of CIA - they don't inform other agencies what they are doing when it concerns national security, they just go and do it.

mbrumlow 2y ago

My understanding is USAID was one of those organizations thet refused to pause spending when Trump lawfully asked all agencies to stop spending (it was a 90 day hold, not a outright denial, only congress can do that). Agencies that should adhere to trumps orders went to the top.

troupo 2y ago
> refused to pause spending when Trump lawfully asked all agencies to stop spending How do you imagine any agency to "stop spending"? Are salaries not to be paid? Are contracts not to be fulfilled? Are rents not to be paid?

jpcom 2y ago

Scenario: You give someone $40B to feed people, and $1B actually feeds them while $39B vanishes into overhead and ideological reprogramming. Then they tell you they need more. If this is success, what does failure look like?

troupo 2y ago
And you have the proof for these numbers, or are they pulled out of Elon's behind?
- Ray20 2y ago
  I have my own experience. As a non-American, I know a lot of hungry people. And I have never heard of any help for them from USAID. And who do you think received help from USAID out of all those I have encountered and ever heard about? Only left-leaning democrat's shield "independent" journalists, whose job mostly consist of ideological reprogramming and who now scream all over twitter how Trump destroys their lives. ONLY. So yes, I don't have any numbers, but I'm used to trusting my own eyes. And what I see (on this particular issue) is way more consistent with what Musk says than with what his opponents say.
  - troupo 2y ago
    > And I have never heard of any help for them from USAID Personal anecdotes are never a good proof of anything. > So yes, I don't have any numbers, but I'm used to trusting my own eyes. So you don't believe in viruses bacteria to name just a few things you can't see with your own eyes? USAID had many programs, only a number which where about helping the poor, and it's possible those didn't specifically target your country. E.g. between the poor and hungry people in Moldova (my own native country) and in Sudan USAID would probably chose those in Sudan (what with war and genocide and...). And they might chose to support businesses in Moldova instead (and they did). I'm not saying it's a perfect program devoid of any corruption. What I'm saying I can come up with as many bogus numbers, and with as many personal anecdotes as the next guy. And Elon sure as hell resists any attempts to shed light on his activities and claims. > Only left-leaning democrat's shield "independent" journalists, whose job mostly consist of ideological reprogramming and who now scream all over twitter how Trump destroys their lives. ONLY. Do you think they do that because they lost funding, or because, say, China or Russia stepped into the void with literally the same support programs?

jonp888 2y ago

Eliminating foreign aid seems to be a common cause of neo-conservative movements. Boris Johnson shut down the British equivalent(Department for International Development) and scrapped the commitment to spend 0.7% of GDP on aid. It's simplistic, drastic and brings no specific domestic effect which could be a rallying point for unrest. It's also very easy to come up with rage bait stories of corruption and waste as justification, because in any organisation spending billions of dollars around the world you will always be to find something ridiculous that got funding, even though the proportion of the budget it represents is insignificant.

astroid 2y ago
Lol you clearly have no idea what a 'neo-conservative' is or their history. Neo-Conservatives were a branch of Democrat wark-hawks who wanted to police the world, that were upset about the pacifist attitude of the Democrats at the time - they emerged in the 60's and managed to largely take control of the Republican party moving forward, peaking under George W Bush. Their founding principal was "Peace Through Strength" and have a strong belief in worldwide interventionism. If you think the 'MAGA' / 'Trump' party is neo-conservative you literally just are ignoring the entire history, the power struggle (which Trump won) to retake the party from the Neo-Cons, and the fact that the trump admin is largely isolationist and opposed to being the world police. Don't get me wrong there are still some neo-cons in office and with roles in his admin, but the republican infighting can be summarized as neocon vs MAGA. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism https://www.britannica.com/topic/neoconservatism https://www.britannica.com/topic/neoconservatism Words mean things. The MAGE/America First party is focused on non-interventionism, advocate against regime change abroad, with a focus on America and it's interest rather than the endless wars. You can debate the success or merit of that approach I guess, but the Neo-Cons are very happy to provide foreign aid as it is core to their ideology. They tend to do it via NED while the left uses USAID more (although both use both, but they each have lean in one direction). Just for fun, I just tried this little experiment you can try to: " CoPilot: Can you rationally describe Trump as a neocon? CoPilot: No, it would not be accurate to rationally state that Donald Trump is a neoconservative (neocon). Here are some key differences: Foreign Policy: Neocons: Advocate for interventionist foreign policies, promoting democracy and regime change abroad. Trump: Emphasizes “America First” policies, focusing on non-interventionism, reducing military engagements abroad, and prioritizing domestic issues. Military Engagement: Neocons: Support maintaining strong international alliances and a significant military presence globally. Trump: Criticized NATO, praised authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin, and negotiated troop withdrawals from conflict zones like Afghanistan. Economic Policies: Neocons: Generally support free trade and globalization. Trump: Advocates for economic nationalism, including tariffs and renegotiating trade deals to favor American interests. These differences highlight that Trump’s policies and ideology do not align with neoconservative principles. If you have any more questions or need further details, feel free to ask! "

deleted 2y ago

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lucasRW 2y ago

[flagged]

wat10000 2y ago
Is that something they did, or is it something you imagine they did because you’re too credulous of right-wing propaganda?

rsynnott 2y ago

‘Libertarian ethos’. The guy who’s hoovering up personal data on behalf of a guy who just claimed to be king, that one? Like, how are we defining ‘libertarian’ here?

ksynwa 2y ago
I didn't mean it too seriously. Just with regard to how one point in the ideology is about governments being small and how DOGE is at least in rhetoric trying to fire federal employees en masse.
tokai 2y ago
libertarian / ˌlɪbəˈtɛərɪən / noun 1) an idiot

intended 2y ago

Collateral damage.

jeffbee 2y ago

He actually wants black Africans to die from AIDS.

Workaccount2 2y ago

It's more likely it came from Trump instead of Elon. Trump is an isolationist and has long complained about money being spent abroad rather than at home.

mindslight 2y ago

The only thing "libertarian" about Musk is his extreme interest in his own freedom - everyone else's be damned.

imperial_march 2y ago

Less than 10% went to the needy. Most of the rest was either wasteful, political or a chain of NGOs performing kickbacks. They were funding censorship campaigns on American citizens etc