Actually Infuriating

so it's clear as a nation we don't actually care unless it benefits us in some way

That’s the “stability” part of the argument you zipped by and ignored in the comment you replied to.

Trump/musk/republicans are undermining and outright removing US controlled support abroad. Doesn’t matter which one, USAID or NATO or whatever. I’m not here to argue the morality of our influence, but I’ll point out the consequences of removing it. The US spending abroad is a relief valve for countries that might otherwise become unstable and affect our interests in that country or in a neighboring country that would be affected by conflict. Want to see instability? Make people hungry and let them die of diseases that they know can be treated. Another reason - the US military budget is so huge and we have bases worldwide and offer defense services and materiel to the host country. That frees up money in that country to take care of itself and be beholden to the US.

All of these things give us favorable trade agreements, rights to exploit resources, and political influence worldwide.

What this dumpster fire of an administration is doing is removing all the carrots - the US spending that promotes soft power and stability all over the world - and is relying on nothing but the strength of the military threat.

I fully expect growing world instability thanks to trump’s actions. Small conflicts growing into bigger ones. Migration and starvation. Loss of soft power, economic and political partners shift alliances away from the US. All of this is going to hurt our economic outlook and increase costs to the US and the citizens. It will bite us in the ass, leave us hanging out on our own, and cost far more than maintaining thr soft power.

Both musk and trump are sheltered dictators, none of this matters to them, we can be in economic ruin and they’ll be kings.