Francisco Bencosme and Michael Schiffer
It was only a matter of time before a disaster struck to test the real-world effects — and the U.S. foreign policy cost — of President Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s chainsaw approach to foreign assistance “reform” and realignment. With this past weekend’s earthquake in Burma (Myanmar), we now have clear evidence that the gutting of the U.S. Agency for International Development has not only left that country worse off than it might be with American aid, but also that America itself is morally impoverished, its global leadership is in question, and its security is strategically at risk.
Despite the mistakes the United States has made around the globe over its lifetime – and in part because it often has acknowledged them, even if belatedly — when disaster strikes, the world looks to the United States, not just for its resources but for its leadership. For decades, the United States has been at the forefront of humanitarian response and disaster assistance, recognizing that such efforts are not just acts of generosity but vital tools of diplomacy and national security.
But in the wake of the March 28 earthquake in Burma, the United States has been largely absent, belatedly sending $2 million and a small emergency response team for an assessment. It’s a failure that carries not only profound moral consequences but also strategic costs that may create aftershocks for years to come. To add insult to injury, President Donald Trump, in announcing his tariffs this week, slapped a 44 percent tariff on Burma, deepening its economic and humanitarian crisis.
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