The Intangible Benefits of Being an Average American
You can't prove a negative, but can you prove an invisible positive?
When you work in or adjacent to Human Resources (HR), you become very familiar with your company’s benefits (e.g., insurance, retirement, time off), and “perks” like meditation app subscriptions that no one uses and free beverages!
A mantra you become familiar with regarding the above is, “It’s better to add than to take away.” In other words, employees get upset when you remove one of their benefits, and rightfully so. One of my previous employers provided me with unlimited paid time off and unlimited LaCroix, and I would have been equally upset had either been taken away.
With the Trump/Musk administration all but shuttering USAID, the first thought that comes to my sort-of untethered mind is, “Welp, I guess we had a good run.” I don’t think anyone—not experts, pundits, or normies—can predict how this proverbial blowing of the soft diplomacy popsicle stand will impact Americans in the long run. The consequences for countries that receive support from USAID have been immediate in many cases, as seen in Uganda, Ukraine, and Syria.
Meanwhile, many Americans are panicking, not so much about USAID’s abrupt disappearance from the world stage as much as the million other “Is that legal!?” moments unfolding domestically like a torrential downpour of middle fingers to normalcy.
I myself have stopped wondering, “Is he for fucking real right now?” because I have devolved into a puddle of survivalist cynicism, convinced that if Trump cared about laws (forget norms), much, if not all, of what he’s doing wouldn’t be happening. (I suppose this is what makes a felon a felon!)
No, most Americans will not care about the power vacuum that USAID’s vanishing act will leave on the world stage; they will either not care or will not have the mental capacity to imagine what it means for us. I can’t say I blame them: I’m more plugged into foreign affairs and geopolitics than the average American; I have professional interactions with coworkers in other countries (which I consider a huge bonus); and I am in regular contact with family and friends in countries like Venezuela and Afghanistan. However, I recognize that this isn’t how most Americans spend their time, whether willingly or otherwise, so there is no judgment here.
But the ramifications of packing it up and packing it in will be, in my opinion, pretty fucking dismal. It may take years for us to feel the effects here at home, but whether the general population will connect the soft diplomacy dots that were erased in the years prior will be a big question mark.
Some argue that 9/11 occurred due to a “failure of imagination" in the U.S. I’m not suggesting we should sit around and gamble on what disaster might befall us—I once gambled on a cruise ship, lost $2 and promised myself I would never part with my money in such a careless manner again. However, we may need to amplify the stories of those affected by the closure of USAID while also learning more about the positive accomplishments of the U.S. in other countries worldwide. And not in the usual overblown ‘America rules!’ way, but by examining the facts, figures, and positive impacts of our efforts.
I’ll be honest: I shit on the U.S. quite a bit, but only because I expect a lot from this country. After all, if you’re going to instill into 80’s/90’s kids like myself that this is the best country on Earth, you better deliver.
And I recognize that I’ve benefited from the security of living in a country that is a geographical anomaly—one that has historically allocated significant funds, aid, vaccinations, counsel, and guidance to nations worldwide. Naturally, there’s an argument that we should invest more (or all) of that money to assist Americans instead. I agree that we need to support our own better: veterans, the elderly, the homeless, families (whether struggling or not), children, educators, first responders, front-line workers, and the list goes on.
Forget the fact that the amount we spend on USAID was 1.2% of our overall federal budget in 2023: if we’re the wealthiest country ever to grace the planet with its freedom-loving presence, we have a moral obligation to invest in ourselves and the world (in my humble opinion, at least).
Some countries will happily fill the void, and efforts like USAID are not just an act of goodwill: they keep us safe at home. We just need to have a better imagination to appreciate this fact.
AJ can be found on the CIA Reject.
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100% on mark, I've been saying the same thing. But don't worry, since power abhors a vacuum the Russians and Chinese will be moving right in. I would like to point out that teaching the global benefits of Pax Americana in schools instead of much of the BS they teach might have helped avoid this, maybe not with MAGidiots but certainly with many in the middle.