"I start what is sure to be a kaleidoscopic (or some might call disorganized) reflection on the undercurrents of power as Trump attempts to build a new America based on illusion by reminding that the first assault was on USAID. USAID was targeted, among other reasons, because it supported the kind of pro-democracy NGOs that have haunted Viktor Orbán for years, and also because the realities of aid in the field look funny to those pickled in the provincialism of culture war."
"But it's a useful reminder, because the destruction of USAID was both the first great strike against Congress' power of the purse (because Marco Rubio was refusing to spend on programs Congress had appropriated, including programs with bipartisan support, like PEPFAR), and also the consensual destruction of a great deal of soft power the United States built up going back to the Cold War."
The willful targeting and dismantling of USAID removed a key instrument of U.S. soft power and undercut Congress' control over appropriated funds, exemplified by refusals to spend on bipartisan programs like PEPFAR. USAID once served as a low-cost Cold War tool to contest rival powers, foster development, and open markets, but it became stigmatized by conspiracy-minded critics. Parallel political moves include Stephen Miller's aggressive stance on immigration and Latin America, which conflicts with efforts to subordinate Democrats and confront China. Pursuing competitive authoritarian tactics modeled on Orbán while weakening international influence amounts to a form of hegemonic self-sabotage that complicates consolidation of power, including economic negotiations such as trade conflicts.
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