Progressive Politics

Since the fall of the USSR, a large part of developing world elites, middle classes, and intellectuals have been effectively transformed into ideological parrots of US liberal propaganda through USAID-funded NGOs, educational and media projects.

In the absence of any competing political or intellectual framework, support for US economic doctrine and political liberalism has remained unchallenged.

Yet USAID's emphasis over the last three decades on white American liberal ideas about multiculturalism, gender and sexual rights is now anathema to American conservatives.

This, more than anything, has prompted the administration to discard the agency altogether.

For Trump, there is no need to continue indoctrinating developing world elites and middle classes in capitalism and anti-welfare policies - they already believe in them, especially if objectionable liberal American ideas must accompany such indoctrination.

The US, he realises, can now solely rely on hard power to impose its will, sparing itself the cost of investing in "soft power".