Elon Musk's 'Shock Therapy' on USAID: Exposing US Soft Power, Covert Influence, and the Shifting Global Order

This episode of the Awakening podcast, hosted by Richard, delves into the controversial actions of Elon Musk regarding USAID, framing it as a "self-imposed shock therapy" for the United States' global position. Richard begins by sharing insights from Professor Shen Yi of Fudan University, Shanghai, who analyzed an article by former USAID administrator Andrew Nati. Nati's article, intended to defend USAID against Musk's criticisms, inadvertently revealed the organization's deep involvement in foreign political systems, including its close ties to the US State Department despite appearing independent, its long-term strategic planning, and its practice of hiring foreign nationals who later ascend to high political office in their home countries. Examples cited include former USAID workers becoming presidents and vice presidents in Latin American countries, and even actively encouraging employees to run for government positions.

The podcast details USAID's questionable spending, such as millions on sex changes in Guatemala, tourism in Egypt, and combating disinformation in Kazakhstan, while also highlighting the organization's alleged promotion of "extreme left-wing ideology" as a Trojan horse for infiltration. Richard argues that Musk's actions, whether intentional or not, have forced USAID to expose its true purpose as a tool for regime change operations and color revolutions, overstepping its original mandate and becoming entangled in US domestic politics, particularly in efforts to demonize Donald Trump. This exposure is seen as a significant blow to the United States' strategic advantage and soft power projection, dismantling a system perfected since the Cold War designed to infiltrate and influence foreign internal affairs.

Richard then presents his own five-step geopolitical thinking pattern, emphasizing the importance of understanding reality, motivation, cost/return/risk, sustainability, and standard of living before applying moral judgments. He discusses the common practice of government-funded influence projects globally but distinguishes USAID's scale and depth, describing it as a form of neocolonialism where the US power structure often sits above a country's own. He contrasts this with China's approach, noting that while China has extensive economic ties, it lacks the same state-to-state relationship where overthrown leaders flee to Beijing.

Ultimately, Richard expresses a neutral stance on the concept of empire-building itself but concludes that the US empire project, particularly under the Monroe Doctrine and in East Asia, is now doing more harm than good. He argues that the US has shifted from a model where globalization meant a growing "pizza" for everyone to one where it prioritizes maintaining its power to divide the pizza, even if the pizza itself shrinks. This change in priority makes the US-led unipolar world less attractive, less sustainable, and negatively impacts global living standards, potentially leading to a collapse similar to the Soviet Union if the system cannot justify long-term prosperity to its constituents.

"USA ID is an organization that works closely with the US state department but at the same time is also independent from the state department is a so-called civilian organization right however every project manager assigned by usaid in foreign countries is required to report to the local US ambassador to summarize the process and result of his or her project"

"the other interesting thing in terms of inference and the state department versus USA ID is that unlike the US foreign service 34s of the people we hire in USA ID are not Americans all right they're from the country that we work in many of them go on to become heads of state Ministers of Finance members of parliament and we have a history with the US I can go through the entire list"

"I remember once I said on a country's visit anybody here ever think of running for office when when you know this guy is in a local USA ID Office we just and two of the guy said we just got elected to Parliament last week running on the platform that we work for USA ID"

"they also took down all the ples honoring murdered USA ID officials we had a war I had it installed myself for every USA ID officer who's been murdered in the LA last 70 years 70 years we have commem them they took the whole thing down"

"USA ID utilize his Media power to promote political candidates both foreign and domestic to pursue its own interest"

"USA ID the organization in which Elon Mosk insists on closing now might be the most important non-government organization NGO that contribut the most to US foreign policy and soft power projection since the Cold War"

"A system that the United States have spent decades developing and perfecting A system that was designed to infiltrate and influence directly and indirectly in foreign countries especially in their Internal Affairs"

"if my audience see today's United States as a country an Empire who mentally ready and self-will Retreat itself to a regional power then what Elon Moss is doing can be considered as a self-imposed shot therapy an action that is necessary in order to reposition the United States in the global Mob Arena"

"this Empire building project is seems to be doing more harm than good not only if you look at Central and South America under you know Monroe Doctrine but even if you look at East Asia Japan South Korea Taiwan and the United States influence over these places uh was an uh a positive I would say Energizer uh it is no longer adding as uh Energizer but more as a suppressor"

"today's United States seems to have abandoned that pursuit in many ways is prioritizing on keeping that power to divide the pizza even if it means that the pizza will stop growing or get smaller over time"