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PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   5135 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of February 3, 2025

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Why would an independent body for economic development have classified material?

USAid has been advancing US political interests along with the CIA operations branch overseas for decades.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Agency_for_International_Development#Political_operations_abroad

William Blum has said that in the 1960s and early 1970s USAID has maintained "a close working relationship with the CIA, and Agency officers often operated abroad under USAID cover."[195] The 1960s-era Office of Public Safety, a now-disbanded division of USAID, has been mentioned as an example of this, having served as a front for training foreign police in counterinsurgency methods (including torture techniques).

https://kyivindependent.com/how-us-foreign-aid-transformed-ukraine-through-the-years/

The USAID’s technical assistance program which provides expert advice, support, and resources to help countries implement reforms and achieve development goals, played a big role in transforming Ukraine after the EuroMaidan Revolution that ended the rule of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

In other nations:

From 2003, NED-family Ingos got into the act of securing regime change at the next parliamentary elections, turning against Akayev who had initially allowed them access to the country during the heyday of IMF and Usaid conditional lending. Even more than in Ukraine, American dominance of the local NGO sector is complete in Kyrgyzstan. P Escobar describes the monopolisation of local civil society thus: "Practically everything that passes for civil society in Kyrgyzstan is financed by US foundations, or by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). At least 170 non-governmental organizations charged with development or promotion of democracy have been created or sponsored by the Americans."

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/colour_revolutions_3196jsp/

There are several biased sources but also some pro neoliberal sources.

They have been also advancing leftist causes abroad, whether that benefits US is pretty dubiuos.

P Escobar describes the monopolisation of local civil society thus

Not sure I would trust the King of Cocaine on this, but then again I imagine he has significant experience in dealing with various arms of the US federal government

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