Back in the days when I was a Air Force medic stationed at a special operations base in northeast Thailand, our mission was in support of the “Secret War” in Laos that was an adjunct to the public war in Vietnam.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was working with the CIA to fund that secret war.
That’s not speculation. I treated USAID “representatives” at sick call. They were indistinguishable from CIA operatives. I didn’t know who either were at the time — though we all suspected it.
Those suspicions were subsequently confirmed. Since 2004 I’ve belonged to an international veterans’ organization of those who participated in that secret war — and I was President of the organization for six years. Among our members were former USAID “representatives” (now deceased) who related their role in that war both publicly and in private conversations.
In 1961, an agency to administer “foreign aid” — without any specifics — was authorized by Congress to operate under the executive branch. USAID was then created via Executive Order by President Kennedy. Originally it operated like a ‘CIA cutout’ to provide ‘humanitarian cover’ for CIA covert operations — primarily in Southeast Asia, but later worldwide.
Because USAID was created by and Executive Order, it can be abolished with one. Its function can then be assumed elsewhere in the executive branch — such as the State Department.
Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency has pulled back the curtain to expose how USAID spends our tax dollars. Contrary to what Democratic Party leaders and some in the media would have us believe, the grants USAID gives out are not specifically authorized by Congress — so cancelling them does not require Congressional approval
I’m not going to re-hash all the astounding waste exposed. That can be found in enough other media outlets. My focus is on a specific area — because I want in on the action!
USAID is supposed to be all about improving the welfare of the impoverished in undeveloped countries.
USAID partners to end extreme poverty and to promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity.
That sounds very noble. In actual practice, USAID has an interesting definition of ‘extreme poverty’. It apparently includes corporate media outlets.
Here is a list of corporate media who reportedly got ‘grants’ from us taxpayers through USAID:
The Associated Press: $37.5 million over the past 15 years.
Politico: $34. 3 million since 2015.
Reuters: $10.6 million since 2020.
The New York Times: $2.7 million since 2008.
The Washington Post: $1.7 million since 2014.
CNN: $220,000 during the 2015-2016 Presidential campaign
You can read here about the specifics of those “grants” and what the government got in return, here.
I’ll leave the obvious corruption of the supposed ‘independent, unbiased’ media inherent in such grants to others. My interest is less intellectual.
I want my cut of the government largesse.
Compared to those corporate media giants who were deemed deserving of USAID grants, the Pagosa Daily Post staff and contributors are in ‘extreme poverty.
I know Bill Hudson is too busy with the Post and his other activities to undertake the process of obtaining a USAID grant. So I’ll take on the responsibility of wading through the bureaucratic red tape on behalf of the Daily Post and us humble contributors. We’ll settle for a one-time grant of 10% of what CNN got.
I’m sure all of here at the Daily Post could use a raise for the work done on behalf of the public. I know I certainly could — since Mrs Beatty’s kitty refuses to eat anything other than “gourmet” cat food.
If we get the grant, (and Bill gives me a raise), in the interest of full transparency about the good use of your tax dollars, I’ll post pictures of the kitty contentedly sleeping after scarfing down her premium food!