Trump's Administration to abandon worldwide democracy support?

[jeffbrunner]

For decades the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been helping the poorest countries in the world to develop economy, democracy, healthcare and multiple other projects. It has been providing humanitarian aid and preventing conflicts in those countries as well. However Donald Trump's election as President of the United States and his Make America Great Again course may spell the death not only of USAID, but of America's entire foreign policy.

One of the wake-up calls came from the ex-Soviet area, from Belarus. USAID plans to leave the country by 2018 and from 1 August 2017 a number of projects will be halted there owing to financial stress, as is described in a letter of Matthew Sumpter, USAID Belarus Country Director.

i.imgur.com/xuD1abf.jpg

As a result, in the country, where Alexander Lukashenko has stayed as eternal head for more than two decades, we can forget about democratic reforms and developments while people who count on USAID support will be left with nothing. And it's not just about Belarus.

After the US presidential election few people doubted that US foreign policy won't be different, but hardly anyone could predict such sweeping changes. Financial cuts that hit USAID, which is one of the key promoters of US interests in the world, mean decrease and further loss of America's influence in many regions where democracy needs not just some financial aid, but a shield. By saying 'no' even to a small number of countries, Trump's Administration gives totalitarian and radical regimes a chance to grab the power and strengthen their positions that necessitate escalating tensions regionally and globally.

So Trump in his rush to pay more attention to US domestic affairs sacrifices the international security which was built up by all the previous principal tenants of the White House. Fickleness of the new Administration and global democracy support cuts tainted the image of America, and in the future it will result in the loss of confidence both in Trump and the United States as the main democratic leaders who abandoned their allies and everyone in need.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Oh yeah, our great support of democratic leaders like Pinochet.

[AtorBoltox]

Oh yeah, our great support of democratic leaders like Pinochet.

Once again Jfern popping in to remind us that there's nothing abnormal about trump and everyone else is 'just as bad'

[Zinneke]

Welcome to the forum.

I think he's already abandoned democracy support in his own country. But in all seriousness, I adhere to a minimalist view of democracy, and I think we should seperate the electoral act and the fairness surrounding it (free press, etc), with Human Rights promotion and the "development" carrot to promote the latter. The support for "democratization" through development programs is still firmly in US state interests : new markets for exports, etc.

Also Belarus is an extreme example.

[GoTfan]

Oh yeah, our great support of democratic leaders like Pinochet.

Once again Jfern popping in to remind us that there's nothing abnormal about trump and everyone else is 'just as bad'

Actually, the US does have a history of supporting and propping up third world dictators.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Hasn't USAID been used as a front for US-supported revolutions, in the former Soviet-bloc and elsewhere? If my recollection is correct, I wouldn't be that sad to see it go, but that it would cease operations in Belarus first seems more than coincidental.

[JA]

Oh yeah, our great support of democratic leaders like Pinochet.

Once again Jfern popping in to remind us that there's nothing abnormal about trump and everyone else is 'just as bad'

Actually, the US does have a history of supporting and propping up third world dictators.

America has a long history of supporting or even helping to establish dictatorships when it serves its interests; there's nothing new about that. Hell, we even overthrew two democratically elected leaders (Chile and Iran) because they threatened our corporate financial interests in those countries and installed dictatorships. Look at our continued support for and arming of one of the world's most repressive regimes (Saudi Arabia) simply because they help serve our interests in the region. The US has only ever been committed to democracy when a dictatorship doesn't benefit us.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The US did not overthrow the democratic government in Chile. That was virtually entirely planned and orchestrated by the Chilean military alone.