11–20 of 34 posts
If this is a discussion we want to have, maybe a news article about it would be better? E.g. https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/01/politics/usaid-website-offlin... -- which I haven't really read either, but it is probably less confusing.
This was 4th on the front page and all of a sudden it just disappeared What happened?
This was 4th on the front page and all of a sudden it just disappeared What happened?
For those curious: This was most likely posted because it is gone. I don't think USAID's disappearance is a particularly good HN topic, but it's liable to just confuse people like this. If this is a discussion we want to have, maybe a news article about it would be better? E.g. https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/01/politics/usaid-website-offlin... -- which I haven't really read either, but it is probably less confusing.
thought process (hmmm what other gov do I know? oh I'll curl up cisa. oh it uses drupal thats neat.)
For those curious: This was most likely posted because it is gone. I don't think USAID's disappearance is a particularly good HN topic, but it's liable to just confuse people like this. If this is a discussion we want to have, maybe a news article about it would be better? E.g. https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/01/politics/usaid-website-offlin... -- which I haven't really read either, but it is probably less confusing.
Almost certainly posted for its sudden absence, yes. USAID is not a small deal; they're an omnipresent entity in much of the developing world.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Almost certainly posted for its sudden absence, yes. USAID is not a small deal; they're an omnipresent entity in much of the developing world.
The "omniprescence" may not be the case going forward. Hopefully colleagues in Russia, China, EU, Japan and other countries can step up.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The "omniprescence" may not be the case going forward. Hopefully colleagues in Russia, China, EU, Japan and other countries can step up.
I have mixed feelings on this one. I hope folks in need of aid get it; I am concerned about a world in which soft power is ceded to Russia and China.
This was 4th on the front page and all of a sudden it just disappeared What happened?
A subset of HN users appear to not want this issue to be discussed on this platform.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have mixed feelings on this one. I hope folks in need of aid get it; I am concerned about a world in which soft power is ceded to Russia and China.
What are your concerns? My understanding is an electoral majority of Americans believe that this soft power is in better hands if it is ceded to other nations such as Russia and China and/or others.
That said: my own objection is primarily moral—I believe humans should help other humans without exception, _especially_ those most in need, and would strongly prefer that be embedded into the society in which we live. If you're going to argue that many folks that voted for the current administration would differ in their preferences around that, you're probably right.
The more cross-cutting argument is that Trump campaigned on getting the US out of expensive wars and preventing getting into forever wars, primarily talking about the monetary cost. Cutting off the US's soft power increases the chances of ending up in a hot war for very little actual savings—the total amount of foreign aid the US spends is below 1% of the budget.