Democrats have reacted to cuts at USAID as if Elon Musk and DOGE are slicing off warmth and meals for aged Individuals. Nothing could possibly be farther from the reality.
Musk and DOGE are focusing on spending that’s stunning to most Individuals. Spending that most individuals didn’t even know existed and which is disgusting within the face of what has occurred in locations like western North Carolina, and different American places in dire want.
The response from Democrats has been so excessive that even some individuals on the left imagine they’re taking a large political danger.
A kind of individuals is Ruy Teixeira, a progressive analyst who’s aligned with individuals like John Podesta and the Progressive Coverage Institute.
He’s a person of the left and he’s sounding the alarm for Dems.
Teixeira lately wrote at the Free Press:
Defending USAID Is Political Suicide for Democrats
In coverage phrases, the Democrats have some extent. The legality of DOGE’s strike on the company is unclear. For the unimaginable quantity of wasteful stuff in its funds—why did USAID grant $1.5 million for “range, fairness, and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and enterprise communities”—USAID additionally gives fundamental assist, like diet and well being help, to needy international locations.
However politically, none of that issues a whit. Trump occupies the excessive floor on this combat, which might be why he and Musk picked it. If voters dislike something, it’s forms and overseas assist. And USAID is a ten,000-employee forms—housed in a palatial constructing on prime downtown actual property—that spends $40 billion a 12 months on different international locations.
He wraps up his article this fashion:
Okay, let’s recap the scenario:
1. Democrats are unconditionally defending an obscure authorities establishment at a time when even well-known and beforehand trusted establishments are regarded with intense suspicion. A key discovering from New York Occasions polling within the 2024 election cycle was that voters overwhelmingly imagine the political and financial system in America wants both main adjustments, or to be utterly rebuilt.
2. This specific obscure establishment does certainly one of American voters’ least favourite issues: present overseas assist.
3. Lastly, not solely are Democrats blanket defending an obscure establishment that does one thing American voters don’t significantly need to, they’re defending it with out explaining their very own priorities. What assist would they protect and what would they eliminate?
Ed Morrissey feedback at Sizzling Air:
who loves USAID and its unaccountable construction? The progressive Academia elite that run it and different less-than-responsive federal bureaucracies. Why? It appeals to their elitism, and the circulate of cash with out accountability permits for large manipulations and social engineering. David lined ‘Internews” earlier as we speak, a $500M annual expenditure in what’s in essence a propaganda operation, or extra possible a large number of such operations.
who hates USAID and different less-than-accountable federal bureaucracies? Everybody else. Virtually actually.
Democrats appeared out of contact after the election. At the moment, they give the impression of being downright loopy.
UPDATE: Watch this, it’ll make you snort.
Elon and DOGE decimating USAID pic.twitter.com/4qx1b5CPd5
— FreedomToons (@Freedom_Toons) February 11, 2025
