Conservative or liberal (politics)

[dmgtz96]

I find this format/style tough to watch, but I am not the target demographic I guess. No real comments about the PSYops aspects. Anyone with a history of the org understands USAID is combo AID, combo soft power, combo influence peddling. Voice of America for instance, or Free Radio funding would be a positive outcome of some these ops even though this podcaster ignores that aspect completely.

That being said, taking a sledgehammer to the USAID agency, instead of implementing real change and carving away programs they didn't value, is what many take exception with. They threw the baby out with the bathwater. Look at what is happening in Sudan right now. Or Myanmar, South Africa, Afghanistan, Subsaharan Africa. There were a lot of programs operating with USAID funding that *poof* disappeared, which puts millions in jeopardy. For those upset about some thousands of dead in Gaza on here - if millions die due to lack of food because we retract funding with no notice - does that weigh on your conscience? Prob not, it's a more subtle way of watching people die - not as sexy as Bibi carpet bombing civilians I guess. Wild.

And for this podcaster in particular - she notes she doesn't give a fuck about cancelling USAID and the impact b/c people at home in the USA are not being taken care of. She lists Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Child Tax Credits, fixing roads - all of which are likely to be cut under Trump. What bullshit... she notes the Republicans are not going to fix or help any of this but still uses it as a main point to not care about USAID. And lastly, she covers nothing about the positive funding and the truly horrific impacts the loss of that will have. From her perspective, Trump destroyed something worthless. Without covering the positives, this is about as one sided as it gets. Lame.

I'm pretty sure this podcaster is just a right wing grifter

 

[Jetflag]

I'm pretty sure this podcaster is just a right wing grifter

Opposite actually, she’s a Bernie bro. (Or sister more accurately).

The type who will walk into a 2020 MAGA crowd and ask constitutionalists why it’s not ok to burn the flag.

 

[Jetflag]

I find this format/style tough to watch, but I am not the target demographic I guess. No real comments about the PSYops aspects. Anyone with a history of the org understands USAID is combo AID, combo soft power, combo influence peddling. Voice of America for instance, or Free Radio funding would be a positive outcome of some these ops even though this podcaster ignores that aspect completely.

That being said, taking a sledgehammer to the USAID agency, instead of implementing real change and carving away programs they didn't value, is what many take exception with. They threw the baby out with the bathwater. Look at what is happening in Sudan right now. Or Myanmar, South Africa, Afghanistan, Subsaharan Africa. There were a lot of programs operating with USAID funding that *poof* disappeared, which puts millions in jeopardy. For those upset about some thousands of dead in Gaza on here - if millions die due to lack of food because we retract funding with no notice - does that weigh on your conscience? Prob not, it's a more subtle way of watching people die - not as sexy as Bibi carpet bombing civilians I guess. Wild.

And for this podcaster in particular - she notes she doesn't give a fuck about cancelling USAID and the impact b/c people at home in the USA are not being taken care of. She lists Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Child Tax Credits, fixing roads - all of which are likely to be cut under Trump. What bullshit... she notes the Republicans are not going to fix or help any of this but still uses it as a main point to not care about USAID. And lastly, she covers nothing about the positive funding and the truly horrific impacts the loss of that will have. From her perspective, Trump destroyed something worthless. Without covering the positives, this is about as one sided as it gets. Lame.

She does acknowledge that USAID has done good along the way, but that that was never why it was formed. And also that Trump probably didn’t get rid of it for said reasons.

Been watching her content for quite a while and June is, apart from say, local or private or church relief efforts, against foreign intervention with political motives, full stop.

the fact that it accidentally did some good along the way (the money of which mostly ends up in the hands of local gouverneurs/bureaucrats mind you) doesn’t take away what this is.

the CIA’s little brother disguised as US altruism.

must admit they did a pretty good job too, had me fooled for the most time.

I agree with you that they could keep some programs running. I think that would be the tactical thing to do as well as it would make them look good/ better in 2028

 

[SaltAcidFatHeatAcid]

the fact that it accidentally did some good along the way (the money of which mostly ends up in the hands of local gouverneurs/bureaucrats mind you) doesn’t take away what this is.

the CIA’s little brother disguised as US altruism.

Even if the second statement is true (which I don't wholly dispute), I wouldn't say that the good USAID has done was accidental. It's been mostly humanitarian aid since the 1990s, and has had an enormous impact in some areas (note the ones I listed above). But it's an element of soft power and typically comes with conditions (political influence) - again, this is not in dispute. I don't mean to wave my hand at waste - money surely ends up in the wrong hands in some cases. But, if you've ever done work in developing countries, you would also be aware of how difficult is is to get anything done there without waste, corruption and some level of fraud. Those results are often understood before funding is released.

And just like the decimation of our public service sector, the culling of USAID should be done with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer. And be honest about what is being cut - preventing HIV transmission in Africa is not LGBTQ funding like is widely reported in the MSM.

 

[Jetflag]

the culling of USAID should be done with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.

I agree with that, But also think it’s an ideal scenario that more often then not works.. previously mentioned government audits being a prime example. And I also think that when an institution is more fraud then intent/result, it might be time to pull the plug and start anew.

its the problem with the way our respective countries are democratically set up eyh?

Any 4 or 5 year term in which x government has the mandate and institutional backing to assemble and apply said “scalpel” is, at least looking back, not enough to implement real change and then the next election cycle comes around

it’s an inherent problem with democracy and one of the reasons the Romans invented the Dictat.

we don’t have anything better unfortunately

 

[Jetflag]

translate: massive debt mountain, future eu spending under pressure. Devastation report by the eu s (own) budget chamber: “Unclear where billions of Euros went”. “Von der Leyen thinks it’s just a bit of misinterpretation”

 

[Hensmon]

Love this guys commentary on foreign policy. Not only refreshingly insightful, but it has zero partisan undertones.

 

[dmgtz96]

I think everyone in the US is just quietly waiting for the incoming recession. If Trump doesn't reverse the tariffs like *now*, our entire economy will crash very quickly

 

[Progrez]

I think everyone in the US is just quietly waiting for the incoming recession. If Trump doesn't reverse the tariffs like *now*, our entire economy will crash very quickly

I think this was his plan and strategy to bring down prices.

 

[Jetflag]

Splendid .. Wilders pulled the plug out of our government, again..

 

[facade1984]

elon and donnie apear to be having the world's greatest lover's tiff, just in time for pride month too. I hope these 2 absolutely demolish each other. I'll be over here beating off aggressively with magic in my eyes

 

[Jetflag]

Genuinely curious where this will go and/or if the loony left- dems will be forced to love Elon again because he’s Trumps enemy all of a sudden

 

[LostLegend]

I wonder who’ll get custody of Kid Rock?

 

[facade1984]

Genuinely curious where this will go and/or if the loony left- dems will be forced to love Elon again because he’s Trumps enemy all of a sudden

I was thinking that, will people start to like him again. Far as I'm concerned he's still an irredeemable asshole but definitely keeping an eye on anyone who flips because that's sus to me

 

[Jetflag]

I was thinking that, will people start to like him again. Far as I'm concerned he's still an irredeemable asshole but definitely keeping an eye on anyone who flips because that's sus to me

maybe its all even an elaborate scheme/ play concocted by Zeus and Prometheus to stop further Tesla vandalisation

 

[Jetflag]

I wonder who’ll get custody of Kid Rock?

or if Trump, after this latest divorce, is pregnant and Musks 6th babby momma.

 

[facade1984]

maybe its all even an elaborate scheme/ play concocted by Zeus and Prometheus to stop further Tesla vandalisation

I've BEEN saying that

 

[Jetflag]

I've BEEN saying that

 

[Jetflag]

Personally I think this fit is a storm in a glass of water and something the demos/media landscape/ internet will have forgotten about in a month or so.. Can anybody really remember of the top of their head what Trump or Musk for that matter drama-tweeted say, a month ago? I can't

Nothing much changes in essence. Trump's government won't fall over this and will just continue the course, Elon will just be doing what he does best with his tech firms. and we can comfortably bury the blue-Anon of " Elon buying himself into government so he can bend the rules and take over the US over Trump's back as America's first Ceasar"

Naval ravikant said it best me thinks:

Elon’s stance is principled.
Trump’s stance is practical.
Tech needs Republicans for the present.
Republicans need Tech for the future.
Drop the tax cuts, cut some pork, get the bill through.

And in the mean time we can all kick back with a good box of popcorn to see which one of the two can come up with the best jabs (my bet is on Trump for that by the way , even though in terms of position I would side with Musk over this)

 

[LostLegend]

Personally I think this fit is a storm in a glass of water and something the demos/media landscape/ internet will have forgotten about in a month or so.. Can anybody really remember of the top of their head what Trump or Musk for that matter drama-tweeted say, a month ago? I can't

Nothing much changes in essence. Trump's government won't fall over this and will just continue the course, Elon will just be doing what he does best with his tech firms. and we can comfortably bury the blue-Anon of " Elon buying himself into government so he can bend the rules and take over the US over Trump's back as America's first Ceasar"

Naval ravikant said it best me thinks:

Elon’s stance is principled.
Trump’s stance is practical.
Tech needs Republicans for the present.
Republicans need Tech for the future.
Drop the tax cuts, cut some pork, get the bill through.

And in the mean time we can all kick back with a good box of popcorn to see which one of the two can come up with the best jabs (my bet is on Trump for that by the way , even though in terms of position I would side with Musk over this)

I wish I could say something political about all this, but I’m just enjoying the drama and gossip like some old house-wife