There is an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization, for the uninitiated) called “KyivPride” that runs the annual LGBT “Pride” march in Ukraine, and has done so for approximately a decade.
I keep focusing in on the "why" of all this anti-Liberal "woke" garbage being the target of hundreds of millions, if not billions, of taxpayer dollars. Mike Benz opines that it's used to destabilize the government of countries we want to control through the use of unhinged activists, but then why push it in Ukraine where you have the government in place that you wanted?
I have a sneaky suspicion that it's a form of semi-forced Communist Utopia. Create jobs* that do nothing and profit off American taxpayers. That "speechwriter" at USAID working for Samantha Power seems to fit the bill of a useless person in a useless position, the very thing the Soviets loved. I am sure there are a hundred thousand more like her, including every DEI officer in endless corporations. It's a type of Soft Communism and wealth redistribution for the absolutely brain dead, and Washington DC is full of them (or was.)
I'm sure at least part of it is that the anti-liberal woke garbage is guaranteed a teat at the table, of which the NGO jockeys, opportunists that they are, took advantage.
Yes, this nonsense was bipartisan, as it was the IRI that funded trans dance festivals in Bangladesh, in an (apparently successful) effort at toppling the government there.
I can't wait to hear Tom Cotton & Lindsey Graham defend their own involvement in USAID projects overseen by the IRI.
To build the image of Ukraine as a sort of anti-Russia, in spite of the fact that Ukrainian society is not in fact that much more gay-friendly than Saudi Arabia.
Same reason that Ukraine created, to much fanfare, the special LGTBQXYZPDQ "Unicorn" battalion early in the war, then it promptly disappeared.
Sure it will continue. But LBG... waste was hardly the only outrageous waste going on in the organization. I like that MT expresses the real problem early on in the article, specifically that oversight was not happening. The best result we can hope for with the move to the state department is transparency with a little help from DOGE.
"At core, it’s more likely a bureaucratic and political reorganization of US 'foreign aid' provisions, in line with what Republicans tend to agree is the overriding imperative of countering 'Communist China’s strategy of world domination.'"
Yes, our idiot Congress Critters and State Department will undoubtedly just continue with their own dumb projects in exercising "soft power" to battle those dastardly Eurasians.
But at least now, people are aware of USAID's money-wasting history, and there could be better accountability.
$25,000 was the biggest and seemingly only amount you could muster up despite your divisive hateful political commentary.. more of the same eh? Yet I have yet to read anything truthful or historically correct about Palestine, or the control that Zionist AIPAC has over the US Government, let alone the billions$$$ that have gone freely to Israel each year. It certainly makes your $25K rant look like a joke. Or is that the idea? It's all a joke... especially the genocide part, right?
You’re not up to date. Listen to Mike Benz talk about USAID then come back and see if $25000 was the biggest amount. Try not to default back to Palestine, that’s a different problem.
How is it a "different problem"? As I understand it, we're talking about wasted money. How is funding a foreign country who has free healthcare, free education, new infrastructure, subsidized housing and one of the largest militaries on the planet, ALL at the expense of the US taxpayer a different problem? Even if you have no moral "problem" with paying for a genocide, you should at least have problem with all that money going to a foreign government while American citizens have NONE of the above! But sure let's talk about gay folk dancing, because that's the REAL problem right?
I skimmed the article and didn’t see the dollar amount. Now I see why it wasn’t a major focus. Really hurts the core arguments here, whatever they are.
How about no foreign aid to anybody for a change? None to cheer up gay people worldwide or to prop up countries dropping bombs on other countries they want to destroy.
Dear Michael Tracey, You wrote, "At core, it’s more likely a bureaucratic and political reorganization of US “foreign aid” provisions, in line with what Republicans tend to agree is the overriding imperative of countering “Communist China’s strategy of world domination.” And if that’s the civilizational-scale policy goal, it will probably require more sketchy “aid,” not less."
I always enjoy and sometimes profit from your bracing counter narratives to whatever the reigning political orthodoxies are at any one time, including ones I sometimes subscribe to myself. In this case, would you, could you, please sketch out the sorts of sketchyness you are predicting? Or is that just your habitual cynicism when it comes America's continuing hegemonic project, which I happen to share?
Personally I would like to see a more coordinated international effort, a parliament of nations if you like, when it comes to OECD countries working together to defend those liberal institutions that define Western (aka modern) civilization and distinguish it from the various archaic civilizations that continue to exist in other parts of the world.
I keep focusing in on the "why" of all this anti-Liberal "woke" garbage being the target of hundreds of millions, if not billions, of taxpayer dollars. Mike Benz opines that it's used to destabilize the government of countries we want to control through the use of unhinged activists, but then why push it in Ukraine where you have the government in place that you wanted?
I have a sneaky suspicion that it's a form of semi-forced Communist Utopia. Create jobs* that do nothing and profit off American taxpayers. That "speechwriter" at USAID working for Samantha Power seems to fit the bill of a useless person in a useless position, the very thing the Soviets loved. I am sure there are a hundred thousand more like her, including every DEI officer in endless corporations. It's a type of Soft Communism and wealth redistribution for the absolutely brain dead, and Washington DC is full of them (or was.)
I'm sure at least part of it is that the anti-liberal woke garbage is guaranteed a teat at the table, of which the NGO jockeys, opportunists that they are, took advantage.
Without question. You can't define Communism without including atheism, grift, and graft.
Thanks Michael - some excellent observations here.
Yes, this nonsense was bipartisan, as it was the IRI that funded trans dance festivals in Bangladesh, in an (apparently successful) effort at toppling the government there.
I can't wait to hear Tom Cotton & Lindsey Graham defend their own involvement in USAID projects overseen by the IRI.
To answer the question posed in the headline:
To build the image of Ukraine as a sort of anti-Russia, in spite of the fact that Ukrainian society is not in fact that much more gay-friendly than Saudi Arabia.
Same reason that Ukraine created, to much fanfare, the special LGTBQXYZPDQ "Unicorn" battalion early in the war, then it promptly disappeared.
But the Azov Battalion was so friendly to queer folk...
Sure it will continue. But LBG... waste was hardly the only outrageous waste going on in the organization. I like that MT expresses the real problem early on in the article, specifically that oversight was not happening. The best result we can hope for with the move to the state department is transparency with a little help from DOGE.
Perhaps the soft power could be used to enhance our image rather than undermine the societies we aim it at.
"At core, it’s more likely a bureaucratic and political reorganization of US 'foreign aid' provisions, in line with what Republicans tend to agree is the overriding imperative of countering 'Communist China’s strategy of world domination.'"
Yes, our idiot Congress Critters and State Department will undoubtedly just continue with their own dumb projects in exercising "soft power" to battle those dastardly Eurasians.
But at least now, people are aware of USAID's money-wasting history, and there could be better accountability.
I hope.
Give that tree a good shake and wsrch those rotten apples fall.
Aid for people not to over throw governments
$25,000 was the biggest and seemingly only amount you could muster up despite your divisive hateful political commentary.. more of the same eh? Yet I have yet to read anything truthful or historically correct about Palestine, or the control that Zionist AIPAC has over the US Government, let alone the billions$$$ that have gone freely to Israel each year. It certainly makes your $25K rant look like a joke. Or is that the idea? It's all a joke... especially the genocide part, right?
You’re not up to date. Listen to Mike Benz talk about USAID then come back and see if $25000 was the biggest amount. Try not to default back to Palestine, that’s a different problem.
How is it a "different problem"? As I understand it, we're talking about wasted money. How is funding a foreign country who has free healthcare, free education, new infrastructure, subsidized housing and one of the largest militaries on the planet, ALL at the expense of the US taxpayer a different problem? Even if you have no moral "problem" with paying for a genocide, you should at least have problem with all that money going to a foreign government while American citizens have NONE of the above! But sure let's talk about gay folk dancing, because that's the REAL problem right?
$25,000 here, $25,000 there and pretty soon you're talking real money.
Like Billions to fund a genocide?
I skimmed the article and didn’t see the dollar amount. Now I see why it wasn’t a major focus. Really hurts the core arguments here, whatever they are.
Good question Mikey.
Somebody should probably invade Ukraine and save those fragile, vulnerable queer folx from US influence?
For years, getting on the NGO gravy train was the dream for many a Ukrainain yuppie, up there with getting to emigrate.
They had to call the graft something.
How about no foreign aid to anybody for a change? None to cheer up gay people worldwide or to prop up countries dropping bombs on other countries they want to destroy.
Because LGBTQ+ is the religion of the American Cathedral. (Incidentally, the + stands for pederasty).
Dear Michael Tracey, You wrote, "At core, it’s more likely a bureaucratic and political reorganization of US “foreign aid” provisions, in line with what Republicans tend to agree is the overriding imperative of countering “Communist China’s strategy of world domination.” And if that’s the civilizational-scale policy goal, it will probably require more sketchy “aid,” not less."
I always enjoy and sometimes profit from your bracing counter narratives to whatever the reigning political orthodoxies are at any one time, including ones I sometimes subscribe to myself. In this case, would you, could you, please sketch out the sorts of sketchyness you are predicting? Or is that just your habitual cynicism when it comes America's continuing hegemonic project, which I happen to share?
Personally I would like to see a more coordinated international effort, a parliament of nations if you like, when it comes to OECD countries working together to defend those liberal institutions that define Western (aka modern) civilization and distinguish it from the various archaic civilizations that continue to exist in other parts of the world.
Because the Dems are insane?