[tanaros]

It is difficult to investigate since the original statement of “$21 million for ‘voter turnout’ in India” doesn’t give any reference to the actual grant.

Some sources suggest that the referenced grant is [0], as this is allegedly the only grant for $21 million by USAID that matches the description. It is for Bangladesh, not India, and the money appears to have gone to various pro-democracy advocacy groups. While I suppose you could argue about whether the US should “spread democracy” around the world, I don’t see that you can say this is fraud rather than merely government spending one disagrees with.

[0] https://www.highergov.com/grant/72038822LA00001/

[rayiner]

As a Bangladeshi I’d say that’s worse. Regardless, calling it “pro-democracy” is the fraud. The government that was recently overthrown was elected with supermajorities since 2014. The PM had a 70% approval rating in 2023 in polling by the American IRI: https://www.cfr.org/blog/new-bangladesh-survey-hasina-remain...

There was no “democracy” problem. Instead, it was US funding to destabilize a government that was seen as too friendly to Russia. It’s classic Deep State fraud. In this case, a fraud that will have resulted in setting economic development backward a decade in a country of 175 million people. Far more costly than even $8 billion in UHC fraud.

[redeux]

You may not like it but a US agency advancing US interests is not fraud and there are no actual allegations of something that would meet the definition of fraud.

[rayiner]

It’s literally fraudulent for an aid agency to be spending aid money fomenting overseas regime change. And it’s morally fraudulent because it doesn’t serve American interests. It serves the pecuniary and ideological interests of deep state/nat sec/liberal internationalist nutjobs deeply embedded in these institutions.

America’s only interest in that region is suppressing Islamists, which the previous government was doing a great job at. It’s doubtful that, if the government was being transparent, Americans would pay money to overthrow the government that was killing Islamist radicals without due process in favor of one that’s likely to be taken over by Islamists.

[lesuorac]

There seems to be a slight of hand going on here.

The only grant listed in this thread [1] is for "International development and humanitarian assistance" with a sub function of "Consortium For Elections & Political Process Strengthening".

There's no evidence shown that this grant money is being used to _overthrow_ a democratically elected government.

Also, given that the initially 21 Million claim isn't actually backed up by a specific grant. It's more likely just a fraudulent claim by Musk and you should stop listening to him. I mean it's really trivial to list the grant when you canceled it ...

[1]: https://www.highergov.com/grant/72038822LA00001/

[rayiner]

You have to be gullible as shit—falling for the fraud—to think State Department funding for “democracy” in a third world country friendly to Russia isn’t for destabilizing the government.[1] If the shoe were on the other foot, foreign money being used to “fortify elections” in the U.S. you’d immediately see it for what it is.

[1] https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/foreign-affairs/3744...

[hulitu]

> It’s literally fraudulent for an aid agency to be spending aid money fomenting overseas regime change.

You (and others) misunderstood the meaning of "aid" here. The "aid" is not for you or your country. The "aid" is to pursue US interests.

[rayiner]

That’s not how it’s being sold to the American people even now as those people are on a PR campaign to defend their jobs. Fraud!