Today’s feature story in the Taipei Times by James Baron is an extraordinary look at the history of USAID in Taiwan and the important role it has played in Taiwan’s history.
As the DJT administration attempts to torch this form of soft power (we’ll see if the courts stop it), Baron unfolds layers of complexity in Taiwan’s past. In doing so, the story shows quite clearly why anyone who is cheering on the current torching of these programs knows little—and perhaps knows nothing—about Taiwan’s history and the role the US has played here and across Asia since 1945.
Interesting…well, from historical perspective. Today, I, like most Americans, are very unaware of the various aspects of current USAID activities. My guess is that some free aid programs (providing aid in form of agricultural goods) will be reinstated since these are mostly in place to subsidize farmers in form of buying their products to prop up farm prices and give farmers a fixed annual customer (the government). Some U.S. farmers are already complaining that orders have been cancelled and now wonder where they will be selling their products.
How many Taiwanese (other than some die hard Chinese nationalists, who comprise a small minority of people on this island) have you met that hate the USA?
USAID funding to Taiwan has been in the hundreds of thousands in recent years, the only benefit to Taiwan was Taiwan sometimes collaborated with USAID to give foreign aid.
While it sucks to not be able to collaborate with the US on aid, this only really benefited Taiwan with countries that don’t recognize Taiwan for obvious reasons. But at some point, should Taiwan really focus so much on this type of diplomacy as we are not outspending China by bribing them?
I know this topic of providing aid to countries to recognize Taiwan has been debated on here with pros and cons that make sense. But watching more and more countries switch because China is going to give them more seems like a losing battle.
Taiwan spent millions on giving masks to countries during covid for example…China sold these same countries faulty PPE. And yet these countries still do not care about us.
I will also mention before the US helped the great Republic of China, a founding member of the UN and government of one of the greatest civilization in Taiwan, the US gave the KMT billions to beat the CCP and a lot of that money was embezzled by the KMT elite. This is also an argument on why giving aid to countries may not always be wise.
To add on, Taiwan’s really an exception and not a rule on the success of USAID.
Many other countries like Africa are takers from USAID even after decades and not a contributor like Taiwan, some places like Haiti wasted all their aid in corruption.
Taiwan’s aid was for industrialization and the KMT was at least somewhat competent with governance. This can develop a country like Taiwan.
Other countries use aid for consumption, many people have argued this kind of aid actually hurts a country in the long run as it prevents development and increases reliance. The countries freaking out are the ones that get 10% plus of their entire GDP, they can’t function without it.
So yes, while Taiwan is a success story of USAID from a historical standpoint, there are so many more less than desirable outcomes. Especially in corrupt countries where it’s just being pocketed by the rich.
USAID funding 150bn to Afghanistan is a recent example.
When presented with these failed stories, it’s not hard to imagine why people might support cutting down USAID.
Yes clearly this policy decision in the US is a full on retreat mode, just handing over the ground to the PRC.
Could you imagine Reagan doing that? He must be turning over in his grave.
Regarding Taiwan: USAID was a smashing success. Despite anecdotes above, public perception of the US in Taiwan is overwhelmingly positive. Describing USAID as a failure that needs to be torched shows willful ignorance of this history. The amounts spent are miniscule compared to the potential good will gained. Penny wise pound foolish might be one take; ceding all the ground to the PRC could be another.
USAID was involved in the Golden Triangle with the KMT.
Air America planes and helicopters chartered by CIA and USAID transported opium harvested on a regular basis.
Type in CAPS in Google:
“THE HEROIN TRAFFIC IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ABSTRACT”
It’s on CIA website. 7-pages. Quick read.
Page 6 of PDF (page 5 of typed document) notes its involvement.
Or read Counterpunch, a left-leaning outlet and its report.
The My Lai operation was principally developed by two men, the CIA’s Paul Ramsdell and a Colonel Khien, the Quang Nai province chief. Operating under cover of the US Agency for International Development, Ramsdell headed the Phoenix program in Quang Nai province
