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Adam Russell Taylor sees strong economic and national security arguments for foreign aid, but writes that the moral and humanitarian argument is most compelling for Christians:
A rebuke from the prophet Isaiah has been ringing in my ears the past few weeks: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (5:20). This verse has come to mind as I’ve watched the chaotic — and arguably illegal — efforts of President Donald Trump and his administration to shrink and in some cases dismantle the federal government, especially at the U.S. Agency for International Development. With Trump’s blessing, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has created an unprecedented crisis at an agency that oversees lifesaving assistance to some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. Despite issuing limited humanitarian waivers, the administration has frozen nearly all new foreign assistance funding for the next 90 days, fired many senior leaders, and put the entire agency’s staff of more than 10,000 people on leave, two-thirds of whom work in field locations around the world. The impact of these actions is staggering. Yet through it all, Musk has demonstrated his contempt for USAID’s mission, promising to shut down an agency he’s decried as “evil” and a “criminal organization” that “needs to die” — one that helps feed many of the world’s hungriest people; saves millions of lives through its health, nutrition, and vaccination programs; and supports efforts to foster peacemaking and strengthen democracy around the world. As someone who has dedicated large portions of my career to combatting extreme poverty and advancing sustainable development, I’ve seen firsthand how USAID operates. Ending USAID’s work around the world is both foreign policy malpractice and a deeply short-sighted economic move — not to mention a direct assault on the many commands from the Christian faith to love and protect the most vulnerable.
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