Closing down USAID ignores the needy, hurts American farmers, hands China a gift. Way to go, Trump/Musk
I know, I know, USAID, an international assistance program that the United States has had in place since the Kennedy administration in the 1960s, has elements in it that are, in the eyes of some, a boondoggle. No doubt some of the agency’s programs could use examination in terms of cost-effectiveness, but many of the things that USAID provides are necessities that support the basics of life. They are mainly nutrition-, health-, and sanitation-related.
The Trump/Musk decision to shut down USAID altogether is heartless enough, but it is dismaying in terms of what it means for America’s moral standing in the world and dangerous when it comes to our geopolitical standing.
The first casualties are the millions of human beings around the world who’ve been getting genuine humanitarian help from our nation, which brings up a moral imperative that needs to be addressed.
The fact is, those of us who claim that the United States is built on a foundation of Judeo-Christian values should be feeling pretty good about our nation’s commitment to USAID’s multi-billion dollar helping hand. This is completely in keeping with the New Testament’s many admonitions about helping the poor.
President Trump himself has a long history of touting his religious values. Those values include imperatives about helping the needy. Apparently those scripture-based commitments didn’t make much of a dent in his decision to effectively close the agency, which provides help to some of the neediest parts of the globe.
There are deserving people all over the world who will lose much from USAID’s closure, but, heartless as that may be, there’s much, much more to this decision than just the humanitarian component.
First, consider the impact on our nation’s ag-economy. In taking note of the closure decision’s effect on American farmers, Progressive Farmer’s Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton writes that “USAID is responsible for about $2 billion in U.S. commodity purchases annually for humanitarian food aid.” I haven’t found estimates for South Dakota, but Minnesota farmers stand to lose $70 million in sales to USAID if the agency shuts down.
Then there’s the geo-politics of it.
Going to another level in his Progressive Farmer piece, Clayton alludes to the strategic implications of the decision, writing, “former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a member of the Russian Security Council, on Monday noted ‘Smart move by @elonmusk, trying to plug USAID's Deep Throat. Let's hope notorious Deep State doesn't swallow him whole...’ "
In other words, at least one top Russian official loves the idea. Think about that for a moment.
As to China, well … I don’t think it takes any kind of a brainiac to realize that with the United States pulling out of a myriad of underdeveloped countries, the aid vacuum will be filled by China. The Brookings Institution says that “abolishing the congressionally funded USAID would hurt U.S. interests in multiple ways that go beyond the core principle of U.S. policy to save lives.”
Brookings sees USAID as a form of power projection that “competes against Russia’s and China’s anti-American posture and activities around the world.”
Meantime, Asia Times reports that “USAID shutdown isn’t just a humanitarian issue – it’s a gift to China.” The piece notes that because of the closure, China “will now be given an opportunity to exert more influence around the world. The void in US aid is a gift for China in the battle for soft power.”
On that basis alone, it doesn’t make much sense to withdraw our country’s international presence via USAID. Add to that the brush off of our humanitarian responsibilities and the economic harm done to American farmers and you’ve got a decision that seems dumbfoundingly stupid.
John Tsitrian is a businessman and writer from the Black Hills. He was a weekly columnist for the Rapid City Journal for 20 years. His articles and commentary have also appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Denver Post and The Omaha World-Herald. Tsitrian served in the Marines for three years (1966-69), including a 13-month tour of duty as a radioman in Vietnam. Republish with permission.
Photo: USAID helping Nigerians with a water project, public domain, wikimedia commons
