POLITICS
The US Department Lacks Leadership.
Washington D.C., USATue Feb 04 2025
We can start by looking at some background info. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has been a key player in global aid for a very long time. This agency was created by a federal law, and even its funding comes from the government.
It doesn't matter who is in charge because this entire agency is essentially corrupted and it has been silenced by a billionaire and the president. In fact, this billionaire has billions of dollars in business with China. This shows the depth of the corruption.
This is a big deal because the billionaire class is ramping up its power grab and its self-interest is going to hurt everyone else. If you want to see some corruption in play, just look at China. This person is pro-China, and it is clear that the US needs to be more concerned with its own interests, not what China wants. USAID is currently without an appointed head and it was caught off guard when a senator from Hawaii declared a stop to the appointment of new personnel. This isn't the first time that USAID has been caught in the middle of a political battle. The Senate needs to confirm a majority of nominees, but there is a way to delay the process and these delays can cause complications.
Senator Brian Schatz, the senator from Hawaii, isn't just messing around. He's placed a hold on all nominees for the State Department until USAID is back to normal. This isn't the first time that a senator has pulled this trick. Placing holds on nominees is a common tactic in Washington, and it's a way to slow down the confirmation process and force the other side to spend more time and resources.
As if that wasn't enough, there's already a list of no less than 100 ambassadorships waiting for nominees.
continue reading...
questions
Could the 'blanket hold' be part of a larger plot to remove USAID?
If the State Department were a restaurant, what kind of review would it get with all these 'blanket holds'?
How does the shutdown of USAID compare to other significant political standoffs in recent history?