OPINION:
Foreign aid grifters are being cut off. President Trump is exercising his authority under the Impoundment Control Act to eliminate wasteful spending with pocket rescissions. He just terminated $5 billion in previously approved grants.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio followed up by declaring the U.S. Agency for International Development to be in “close out mode.” He then handed the agency’s keys to Office of Management and Budget chief Russell Vought and instructed him to lock up and turn off the lights.
This means nongovernmental organizations in South Africa will no longer receive $2.7 million to do something under the banner of “inclusive democracy.” Leftist coalitions won’t be able to spend $4 million in other people’s money on “global LGBTQI+ awareness” or the “Global Labor Program,” whatever that means.
“None of these programs are in America’s interest, which is why the President is taking decisive action to put America and Americans first,” Mr. Rubio said on X.
Even Swedish climate alarmists are affected. Sleuths helping the Department of Government Efficiency found that the State Department sent $16,633 to an outfit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to “translate and publish into Kyrgyz the book, ‘No One is Too Small to Make a Difference’ by Greta Thunberg; conduct the book release; distribute the books and conduct the follow-up activities.”
Compared with our $7 trillion budget, a few thousand is trivial. Nonetheless, this line item neatly illustrates the need to realign priorities. The previous administration thought it was acceptable to create a promotional tour for a book in a foreign country that would showcase the musings of a 16-year-old.
Ms. Thunberg’s magnum opus is a collection of orations she delivered six years ago on a whirlwind global trip during which she basked in the spotlight. In Washington, she scolded Americans about what she called the “fairy tales” that pollute the discussion about the weather.
“The USA is the biggest carbon polluter in history,” the young activist explained. “It is also the world’s No. 1 producer of oil. And yet, you are also the only nation in the world that has signaled your strong intention to leave the Paris Agreement.”
Mr. Trump did indeed exit the accord and the United States is indeed responsible for about 4.6 million megatons of carbon dioxide emissions from our use of oil, but Ms. Thunberg conveniently forgets that China exists and, at 10.6 million megatons, its output dwarfs ours, according to the International Energy Agency.
For some reason, the State Department never funded a stopover so Ms. Thunberg’s book tour could deliver this urgent message in Beijing, where the Chinese Communist Party tends to imprison critics. Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, an advocate of free speech and religious liberty, has been jailed since 2021.
Attempts to contact Ms. Thunberg for comment about the change in U.S. foreign aid policy went unanswered because the 22-year-old is participating in the “Global Sumud Flotilla” in support of Hamas. She will take her ragtag fleet of luxury vessels to the Gaza Strip to drop off a bag of rice and a couple of water bottles for the cameras.
That’s if she makes it. Her 75-foot selfie yacht “Family” departed Barcelona, Spain, under the power of colossal diesel motors Sunday. Still, it failed to venture more than a few miles from shore before returning because the climate proved unfavorable.
On this monumental journey, she will emit about 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, more than an entire home does in a year. At least we’re not paying for her shocking contribution to global warming.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.