Trump's Policies Part 2

[Huckleberry]

Etc, etc, etc.

What Faith Aid and Relief Groups Lose in Trump’s Funding Freeze

Before Trump and Musk’s baseless accusations, aid and relief work was a steady partnership between religious charity and federal government.

sojo.net

Pastor Ben Squires did not have “baseless allegations of money laundering by Lutheran social service agencies” on his 2025 bingo card.

And yet, in the early hours of Sunday morning, Feb. 2, Squires found himself reading a flurry of social media posts about Mike Flynn’s unfounded accusations and billionaire Elon Musk’s promise that the Department of Government Efficiency would be “rapidly shutting down” supposedly “illegal payments” to a list of Lutheran groups including Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services), Pacific Lutheran University, and Lutheran Social Services organizations in Florida, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.

 

[jthomas666]

 

[crimsonaudio]

Here are some examples of the cuts and the effects. Please provide evidence of malfeasance in these programs.

Nah, I'm not going to dig around and try to find dirt on everything, my point is simply that it happens fairly often, that much is easy to prove.

Was ALL USAID theft? Surely not.

But enough was, imo.

 

[crimsonaudio]

The freezing of US humanitarian assistance has forced the closure of almost 80% of the emergency food kitchens set up to help people left destitute by Sudan's civil war, the BBC has learned.

Here's my question - why is the US funding 80% of these emergency food kitchens? Why in the hell are we the only tax payers who are responsible for helping these needy? We have the British Broadcasting Corporation reporting this with no apparent shame that their own citizens are laying back waiting on the Americans to do the heavy lifting.

I hate that people might be harmed by this, but good grief, it's not solely our responsibility to be the world's police and food pantry.

 

[Huckleberry]

Here's my question - why is the US funding 80% of these emergency food kitchens? Why in the hell are we the only tax payers who are responsible for helping these needy? We have the British Broadcasting Corporation reporting this with no apparent shame that their own citizens are laying back waiting on the Americans to do the heavy lifting.

I hate that people might be harmed by this, but good grief, it's not solely our responsibility to be the world's police and food pantry.

“Sudan must not be forgotten”: David Lammy announces political and humanitarian action to address 'catastrophe' in Sudan

Foreign Secretary announces £20 million in additional funding while visiting the Adré on the Chad-Sudan border.

www.gov.uk

.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Nah, I'm not going to dig around and try to find dirt on everything, my point is simply that it happens fairly often, that much is easy to prove.

Was ALL USAID theft? Surely not.

But enough was, imo.

Whether it is now or in the future, there is going to have to be some very, very hard decisions made regarding cutting programs that unfortunately have real people on the other end of them. However, we simply cannot keep funding the world and expect to even begin to put a dent in our deficit problem.

 

[Huckleberry]

Nah, I'm not going to dig around and try to find dirt on everything, my point is simply that it happens fairly often, that much is easy to prove.

Was ALL USAID theft? Surely not.

But enough was, imo.

Fair enough, though I’m not sure what percentage would be enough for me to advocate simply stopping all funding rather than doing our best to eliminate the fraud.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Fair enough, though I’m not sure what percentage would be enough for me to advocate simply stopping all funding rather than doing our best to eliminate the fraud.

Agreed - wish it was done better.

 

[crimsonaudio]

“Sudan must not be forgotten”: David Lammy announces political and humanitarian action to address 'catastrophe' in Sudan

Foreign Secretary announces £20 million in additional funding while visiting the Adré on the Chad-Sudan border.

www.gov.uk

.

Good, now let's see everyone else step up. Europe in particular has enjoyed all the benefits of US military and aid generosity at US taxpayer expense for far too long.

 

[Huckleberry]

Whether it is now or in the future, there is going to have to be some very, very hard decisions made regarding cutting programs that unfortunately have real people on the other end of them. However, we simply cannot keep funding the world and expect to even begin to put a dent in our deficit problem.

Once again, I’ll take efforts to deal with the deficit seriously when we see revenue increases and cuts to defense spending. Instead, we get renewal of a huge cut to the upper class and $100-$150 billion more for the DoD. Nothing is changing, other than we’re cutting aid to those who need it the most.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Once again, I’ll take efforts to deal with the deficit seriously when we see revenue increases and cuts to defense spending. Instead, we get renewal of a huge cut to the upper class and $100-$150 billion more for the DoD. Nothing is changing, other than we’re cutting aid to those who need it the most.

We approach money situations very differently, so though we may be on the same page on wanting to get to the same result, we're going to disagree on how we get there. Being an accountant/auditor, my first act of business is to look at spending first (that's just how we're wired) and determine what can/needs to be cut, establish a plan to cut or phase it out. Once that is in play, then go to the revenue side of it and increase revenue streams via the tax code. It makes zero fiscal sense to raise tax revenue before identifying the blindspots in spending and spending habits that have gotten the country into the situation to begin with. Put the bottom of the cup back securely in place before pouring more in it.

But I am also of the train of thought that if I'm not taking care of my own people, we certainly don't need to be raising our hands volunteering to take care of other countries' citizens until we get our own house in order. I'm not against humanitarian aid on the global level, but what we have been doing and the capacity at which we've been doing it has gotten out of hand. There needs to be a more balanced, cooperative approach than the status quo.

 

[Huckleberry]

We approach money situations very differently, so though we may be on the same page on wanting to get to the same result, we're going to disagree on how we get there. Being an accountant/auditor, my first act of business is to look at spending first (that's just how we're wired) and determine what can/needs to be cut, establish a plan to cut or phase it out. Once that is in play, then go to the revenue side of it and increase revenue streams via the tax code. It makes zero fiscal sense to raise tax revenue before identifying the blindspots in spending and spending habits that have gotten the country into the situation to begin with. Put the bottom of the cup back securely in place before pouring more in it.

But I am also of the train of thought that if I'm not taking care of my own people, we certainly don't need to be raising our hands volunteering to take care of other countries' citizens until we get our own house in order. I'm not against humanitarian aid on the global level, but what we have been doing and the capacity at which we've been doing it has gotten out of hand. There needs to be a more balanced, cooperative approach than the status quo.

I can see the wisdom in a nuanced approach, provided the timeline is a reasonable one. Unfortunately, not only are we not talking about increasing revenue streams, we appear to be all about cutting them. And the spending reductions aren't only for global aid, they're mainly targeted at our own needy citizens right here. It seems the pain from spending cuts is to be inflicted only on the powerless, while the defense contractors and their wealthy friends reap the benefits. Let's see a GOP plan as you suggest with definite details and deadlines and I'll consider getting on board. In the meantime, I'm going to call out what's happening now (not that it makes any difference of course, but it makes me feel better).

 

[JDCrimson]

Just remember the hand that feeds gets bitten...

 

[Huckleberry]

The Trump Administration Said These Aid Programs Saved Lives. It Canceled Them Anyway.

The axing of some 10,000 programs has consigned untold numbers of children and refugees to death, officials say. Documents and interviews reveal that the State Department appears to have made the cuts without the careful review it described in court.

www.propublica.org

The Trump Administration Said These Aid Programs Saved Lives. It Canceled Them Anyway.

The axing of some 10,000 programs has consigned untold numbers of children and refugees to death, officials say. Documents and interviews reveal that the State Department appears to have made the cuts without the careful review it described in court.

After the Trump administration moved to freeze nearly $60 billion in foreign aid in January, officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeatedly assured Americans that lifesaving operations would continue. “We don’t want to see anybody die,” he told reporters in early February.

Aid organizations the world over scrambled to prove their work saved lives, seeking permission from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to continue operating.

The administration conceded that many programs prevent immediate death and should remain online: field hospitals in Gaza, an HIV drug supplier for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syrian refugee food programs, health clinics that combat Ebola in Uganda and most of the landmark President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR.

In late January, Rubio and one of his top aides, Peter Marocco, said those programs and dozens of others could continue, granting them temporary waivers while the officials conducted what they have called a “targeted, case-by-case review” of all foreign aid programs managed by the State Department and USAID. That review, they said, would take three months.

Four weeks later, on Wednesday, Rubio and Marocco completely ended nearly 10,000 aid programs in one fell swoop — including those they had granted waivers just days earlier — saying the programs did not align with Trump’s agenda. The move consigns untold numbers of the world’s poorest children, refugees and other vulnerable people to death, according to several senior federal officials. Local authorities have already begun estimating a death toll in the hundreds of thousands.

 

[Huckleberry]

https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-business/ap-the-trump-administration-may-exclude-government-spending-from-gdp-obscuring-the-impact-of-doge-cuts/mlite/

The Trump administration may exclude government spending from GDP, obscuring the impact of DOGE cuts

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday that government spending could be separated from gross domestic product reports in response to questions about whether the spending cuts pushed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency could possibly cause an economic downturn.

 

[Huckleberry]

Exclusive: Hegseth orders Cyber Command to stand down on Russia planning

The secretary of Defense has ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions, sources tell Recorded Future News.

therecord.media

Hegseth orders Cyber Command to stand down on Russia planning

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Hegseth gave the instruction to Cyber Command chief Gen. Timothy Haugh, who then informed the organization's outgoing director of operations, Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Ryan Heritage, of the new guidance, according to these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.

 

[JDCrimson]

Its open season on fraud operations in the US...

Come on everybody grab what you can...

Exclusive: Hegseth orders Cyber Command to stand down on Russia planning

The secretary of Defense has ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions, sources tell Recorded Future News.

therecord.media

Hegseth orders Cyber Command to stand down on Russia planning

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Hegseth gave the instruction to Cyber Command chief Gen. Timothy Haugh, who then informed the organization's outgoing director of operations, Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Ryan Heritage, of the new guidance, according to these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.

 

[Bamaro]

Exclusive: Hegseth orders Cyber Command to stand down on Russia planning

The secretary of Defense has ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions, sources tell Recorded Future News.

therecord.media

Hegseth orders Cyber Command to stand down on Russia planning

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Hegseth gave the instruction to Cyber Command chief Gen. Timothy Haugh, who then informed the organization's outgoing director of operations, Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Ryan Heritage, of the new guidance, according to these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.

Russia, Russia, Russia
Heading towards a complete capitulation.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Nah, I'm not going to dig around and try to find dirt on everything, my point is simply that it happens fairly often, that much is easy to prove.

Was ALL USAID theft? Surely not.

But enough was, imo.

You are aware that less than 1% of the US budget is foreign aid? That's not where the deficit problem lies...

 

[UAH]

We approach money situations very differently, so though we may be on the same page on wanting to get to the same result, we're going to disagree on how we get there. Being an accountant/auditor, my first act of business is to look at spending first (that's just how we're wired) and determine what can/needs to be cut, establish a plan to cut or phase it out. Once that is in play, then go to the revenue side of it and increase revenue streams via the tax code. It makes zero fiscal sense to raise tax revenue before identifying the blindspots in spending and spending habits that have gotten the country into the situation to begin with. Put the bottom of the cup back securely in place before pouring more in it.

But I am also of the train of thought that if I'm not taking care of my own people, we certainly don't need to be raising our hands volunteering to take care of other countries' citizens until we get our own house in order. I'm not against humanitarian aid on the global level, but what we have been doing and the capacity at which we've been doing it has gotten out of hand. There needs to be a more balanced, cooperative approach than the status quo.

I went through a fairly advanced business simulation with some experienced execs. One thing the CFO (a close friend) taught me is that you have to increase revenue through additional sales and selective price increases. You can never cut expenses enough to be successful. Soon you begin to lose critical people and revenue takes a hit. Both have to be pursued at once. IMO.