@Daniel Lion, what's going on with you? Your stance seems to have changed. Is this a case of, well, we're stuck with this sociopathic piece of shit, so let's just hope for the best? Help me understand where you're coming from.
Great question, and hello.
The dismantling of much of our infrastructure and the foundations of a functioning society is insane. Foreign aid is important, but building things like the Chinese do is far better than simply giving money away, except in cases of food and starvation relief.
UNRWA has been a joke, propping up jihadists, and the UN itself includes autocracies like North Korea voting on critical issues despite having no credibility to warrant a strong voice. The same argument could be made for the US. Climate change is taken seriously by some European countries, but China and India make a mockery of it, and the US remains deeply divided. I support renewable energy but recognize that much of the UN's efforts amount to virtue signaling. As an organization, it has been ineffective for decades, sadly.
The WHO was another disappointment. The US contributed 360 million while China paid only 36 million, and yet the WHO lied and covered for China. I lost all faith in them. The NIH, on the other hand, is far more important since it funds crucial research. Cutting its budget would cause us to lose top scientists to Europe, Israel, and Asia, where groundbreaking medical work is being done. The WHO, I believe, is not even part of the UN, though I may be mistaken.
Trump is a criminal, no doubt, yet he is the president. It seems like he could implode the entire system. I suppose I have lost my mind a bit, worn down by culture wars and forced liberal ideologies to the point where I softened toward the loon.
The situation looks grim. He is surrounded by thugs and unqualified people, and if the system collapses, it may be for good. On the flip side, he is blunt about geopolitics, getting paid for military aid, and exposing the hypocrisy in the Middle East. No president has ever been more unpredictable yet, in some ways, more honest.
I oscillate between hope and despair, but as an optimist, I want to believe things will work out. DEI was a disaster, and even Black intellectuals acknowledge that. Trump's bluster often settles into something more reasonable, like with Canada and Mexico, and Panama was a win if you fear the PRC.
So, I am just as bewildered as you about my own feelings. Maybe it is because I am far away from the storm. I am sure my perspective will shift again if the country and economy begin to implode.
I remain open minded, willing to change, and always your friend.
This version maintains readability while removing all hyphens. Let me know if you need any other adjustments.
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