Almost $500 million in food aid is at risk of spoilage as it sits in ports, ships and warehouses after funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, was paused by the Trump administration, according to a Feb. 10 report from a government watchdog.
The report from USAID’s inspector general highlighted the risks of “safeguarding and distribution” of $8.2 billion in unspent humanitarian aid after the Trump administration ordered almost all staff to be placed on leave and ordered a review of U.S. foreign assistance programs.
I’m honestly a little surprised.
With each new day, DOGE takes an idea that I think most of us can get behind: an audit of government spending, and runs with it in the dumbest possible ways: A funding freeze that throws every government and non-profit into turmoil, which is then walked back in cowardly fashion after a lawsuit, or firing critical nuclear energy personnel, realizing none of the remaining staff know how to operate those persons’ functions, and also no one knows how to access their contact info, or, for me the icing on the cake, letting $500 million dollars in food just rot in port.
Trump could, constitutionally, be using this effort to expand his power and appeal tremendously, but he’s cutting everyone off at the knees and (like Biden did with labor unions) forcing resistance efforts to become stronger by sheer necessity.
Just absolutely, mind-numbingly stupid.
They are not stupid, and none of this is about cost-savings or government efficiency. Stop taking their rhetoric at face value.
Dismiss what they claim their goals are, and think about what their goals might actually be.
Again, I get that.
It doesn’t change the fact that their tactics are monumentally stupid… because Trump has Congress and SCOTUS. They can (and should) do all of this shit legally, for the reasons that not only would it have permanence and help them achieve their goal of enriching themselves, but it would also simply work better. (Because there is a legit need to audit government spending and cut pork.)
It is stupid, because they don’t need chaos to achieve what they’re trying to do, and that chaos is mobilizing the judiciary against them as well as their own supporters. It’s also working against the US’ goals internationally.
The voters gave them all the power they need.
I see, you’re the smart one 👍 Those dumdums should have simply hired you.
The point is not to curry favour with voters. It’s purposely kneecapping government functions. Kicking out the competent workers, to install loyalists.
Oh I get that.
Doesn’t change the fact that their tactics are mind-numbingly stupid. In their decision to sow chaos, they’re kneecapping themselves. Repeatedly.
Anyone else see the Chinese movie “To Live”? The same basic thing happened, but in the context of a criticism of Maoism - guy’s daughter is speech impaired and they take her to the hospital to give birth, but the medical students have denounced the older doctors, and botch the delivery, so they have to fetch one out of imprisonment. Ironic that we see the same thing play out under Trump/Musk, isn’t it.