Trump and Elon’s dramatic policy shift on USAID has set social media ablaze. It seems as if people are living in completely different realities about what is happening. It is so emotionally charged that most of us would rather throw our hands up and walk away in disgust. Yet there is a real opportunity in this crisis that is being overlooked on all sides. Here is a lens that will ease your mind and heart while you navigate the topic.
Three Blind Men
There is an old parable about three blind men standing in front of an elephant. Each of them is invited to feel what is in front of them and describe what they notice. The first is standing at the trunk and says, “This creature is like a snake.” The second one is standing at the elephants mid-section. He says, “It is nothing like a snake! This creature feels like a wall.” The third blind man is a bit shorter than the other two and is by the elephants back leg. Hugging the elephants leg he exclaims, “You two are crazy. This creature is like a tree.”
The men went on arguing for hours. Then eventually they left the spot where they were standing to explore where the others had been standing. To each of their amazement they learned that all of them were right. They each had an incomplete version of reality.
United States Agency for International Development
Though the acronym USAID has the word “aid” in it, it is not technically an aid organization. It does engage in projects that administer aid around the world. Yet its’ true objective is to expand the interests of the United States. In this sense it is an instrument of state-craft. So lines get blurred due to geopolitical agendas and imperial interests.
“We partner to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity.” –USAID Archived Website
At face-value most Americans support this mission. Christians, liberals, and decent people of all political perspectives like the idea of helping those in need and ending poverty. Promoting resilient, democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity is a beautiful ideal.
“It seems to me important for a country, for a nation to certainly know about its glorious achievements but also to know where its ideals failed, in order to keep that from happening again.” -George Takei
Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Contemporary events and policies are hotly contested and polarized. So let’s look at USAID from a historical perspective of events from 20 years ago. We will take a balanced approach and list both the good and bad.
In March of 2003 The United States invaded Iraq. The stated goal was to find weapons of mass destruction (WMD), topple their dictator, and bring democracy to the country. WMD were never found. The official story is that it was an “Intelligence Failure”. This caused a deep distrust for Intelligence Agencies as most Americans believe the war was based on lies. The effort to “bring democracy to Iraq” is largely considered a failure.
USAID played a crucial role in the run-up to the war by pushing US-aligned narratives in the media. After the invasion USAID played a central role in these policy efforts:
- Privatizing Iraq’s Economy: USAID implemented policies that favored U.S. corporations, leading to the mass privatization of state-owned industries.
- Contracts to U.S. Firms: USAID awarded billions in reconstruction contracts, primarily to American companies like Bechtel, Halliburton, and Black & Veatch. Many of these projects were criticized for corruption, inefficiency, and lack of tangible results for Iraqis. Vice President Dick Cheney had previously been CEO of Halliburton which received $8 billion in contracts to “rebuild Iraq”. This caused many people to feel there was a conflict of interest between government and private sector.
- Weakening of Iraqi State Institutions: The dismantling of Iraq’s state-controlled economic system under U.S. supervision, with USAID’s economic restructuring efforts, left the country vulnerable to instability and exploitation.
A History of Costly Wars and Interventions
Most Americans agree that Sadam Hussein was a terrible dictator. Yet the Iraq War is considered by most to be one of the greatest foreign policy failures in US history. The venture is estimated to have cost $3 trillion according to Harvard Kennedy School. Almost a million Iraqi’s, mostly civilians, were killed. The regime-change intervention destabilized the whole region causing much poverty and suffering.
USAID’s role in Iraq was heavily criticized because much of the money allocated did not lead to meaningful reconstruction. Billions were lost due to corruption and mismanagement. Meanwhile Iraq remains unstable decades later. USAID’s involvement in Iraq reinforced perceptions that it often acts as a tool of U.S. geopolitical strategy rather than a neutral development agency.
USAID has played a role in numerous other regime-change wars and interventions:
- Republic of Yugoslavia (2000)
- Venezuela (2002)
- Haiti (2004)
- Kyrgyzstan (2005)
- Syria (2005–2009)
- Tunisia (2011)
- Ukraine (2014)
- Bolivia (2019)
In 2014, a leaked phone call from Victoria Nuland revealed US State Department involvement in the overthrow of a democratically-elected leader in Ukraine. As a result, tensions in the region escalated into an invasion and war. Nuclear brinkmanship ensued between the US and Russia. Many argue that this put us as close to WWIII as we have been since the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The Other Side of the Story
USAID has indeed done some great humanitarian work over the years. Disaster response, global health initiatives, food security, agricultural programs, education initiatives, economic development, and environmental conservation to name a few. The people working in this organization are passionate about their work. Many of them are firmly dedicated to helping people around the world.
- East Africa Drought (2011): The “Famine, War, and Drought” (FWD) campaign raised awareness and support for those affected.
- Haiti Earthquake (2010): USAID provided safe housing for nearly 200,000 displaced Haitians. They vaccinated over a million people, and supported recovery efforts after the earthquake.
- President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR): USAID has provided HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and care services, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Ebola Response in West Africa (2014-2016): USAID led efforts to combat the Ebola outbreak by training healthcare workers and implementing community education programs.
- Feed the Future Initiative (Launched in 2010). The program aims to combat global hunger and food insecurity by supporting agricultural development and improved nutrition in partner countries.
- Food for Peace Program: USAID’s Food for Peace provides food assistance to vulnerable populations affected by conflict and natural disasters. Some of the food distributed is grown in America and supports farmers.
- Afghanistan Reconstruction: USAID invested in rebuilding Afghanistan’s infrastructure, education system, and economy, through constructing schools and supporting teacher training programs.
- Power Africa Initiative (2013): This program helps increase access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa by supporting the development of power generation and distribution projects.
- Amazon Rainforest Protection: USAID has funded conservation efforts in the Amazon. They work to preserve biodiversity and support sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
Embracing Nuance
These programs show that USAID has played a valuable role in addressing global challenges through humanitarian aid and development initiatives. To see funding halted for these projects rightfully leaves many people outraged and upset. Meanwhile others face being unemployed by these cuts. There has been some talk about housing some of these programs under the State Department. It is unclear which programs will continue after the 90 day spending freeze for review.
This is in contrast with USAID’s simultaneous role in imperialism, regime-change wars, and state-sponsored propaganda. It is not easy to simply call the organization good or bad. There are many layers of nuance that we have to educate ourselves about. This is fundamental to being a mature and informed voting public in a democracy. Like the blind men we can stay in our spot and argue what the elephant looks like. Or we can explore deeper, take time to listen to others and learn.
An End to Neocon Wars & A New Era of Global Diplomacy?
While Republicans and Democrats argue about USAID there are global geopolitical and economic forces at play. When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 the US became an unchallenged global super-power. At that time US foreign policy doctrine was formed in a think-tank called Project for a New American Century (PNAC). PNAC became the foreign policy doctrine for Neocons for the next 30 years.
It was centered on the idea of taking full advantage of the US’s status as an unchallenged military super power. This meant unchecked imperialism. Toppling governments and destabilizing regions all over the world to exploit natural resources was the playbook. All to pursue a geopolitical strategy agenda. Any country that grew in economic or military strength the US would sanction, bomb and create social turmoil to keep them down. USAID played a central role in all of these regime-change, destabilization operations.
After decades of abuse at the hands of US imperialism the rest of the world created an alternative economic system. One that doesn’t depend on the US Dollar (USD). It is called BRICS and it is comprised of the worlds largest non-US economies including China, India, Russia and others. In recent years BRICS has become the EU’s largest trading partner. In addition the internet makes it a lot harder to hide clandestine operations for USAID.
Regardless of which party controls the White House and Congress the US geopolitical strategy needs to undergo major reform. USAID will no longer play the role in US foreign policy that it has for the past 30 years. The global power dynamics won’t allow it. This transcends the domestic partisan bickering. It invites us to see what is unfolding in our world from a broader perspective.
Closing
With infinite tools for learning and expression we have a lot of leverage to shape a positive future. Will you spend your time arguing about the shape of the elephant like the three blind men? Or will you seize this potent moment of transition as an opportunity to cultivate a vision for a better world?
The conversation is robust, impassioned, nuanced and open to the public. The possibilities are as limitless as the human imagination. There are many individuals and organizations outside of government that are providing solutions to the varied challenges we face. The coming changes invite us to make positive impact for our planet in our local and regional communities. Let the uncertainty of this time empower you to get clear about your role in shaping a healthy, regenerative, creative, peaceful world.
