The death toll from a huge earthquake that hit Myanmar has passed 1,600, as rescuers continue a desperate search for survivors and aid agencies warn of an “extremely difficult” response amid the country’s continuing conflict.
A few months ago, an American response for assistance to Thailand would have been spun up. But now? Crickets. Musk and Trump have torched the agencies that would have responded, the people who would have coordinated our disaster response have been fired.
This is what soft power is: Winning friends by helping those in dire need. Musk and Trum have forcibly walked the country away from being a global force for good, now concentrating on appeasing our enemies and alienating our friends.
Their gutting of the American government has not only hurt Americans, but now we see that the world gets impacted also. For at least the next 4 years, American aid will be met with a raised eyebrow, wondering what stipulations and conditions are attached to accepting the assistance.
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