Where has all the money gone?

 There is a quote attributed to a number of people that says

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

Something has become very clear -- President Trump is adept at getting people to remove doubt about themselves by forcing them to commit what in sports is called an "own goal" -- sending the ball or puck into their own goal, thus scoring a point for the other team.

It would be funny were it not so sad to watch Democratic Senators grill Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his plan to reign in the Pharmaceutical-Industrial Complex. Those Senators brought their bank accounts into the spotlight.

Among other things that have come to light is the news that USAID has given more than £2.6 Million to the British Broadcasting Company, the BBC. As part of the effort to reign in wasteful spending, the Trump administration wants these payments suspended.

In a not very-well-thought-out move, "The Beeb" has been reported as saying that if such funding is cut, they will no longer portray President Trump in a positive light. It is hilarious to think the BBC would ever portray Donald Trump in a positive light. The day that happens is the day that most of their staff goes for voluntary root canals.

The more important issue is that the BBC has admitted to the world that they are nothing but prostitutes selling themselves to whomever pays them. I don't think that is the message they wanted to send.

The BBC says those funds supply 8% of the budget of a charity called the BBC Media Action. That agency said this week

A free press is essential to freedom and democracy – and 75% of countries around the world do not have a free press.

BBC  Media Action supports local media around the world to deliver trusted information to people most in need.

Like many international development organisations (sic), BBC Media Action has been affected by the temporary pause in US government funding, which amounts to about 8% of our income in 2023-24.

Even if such efforts are needed -- and are successful -- why does the United States Government need to pay a British agency to spread the money around the world? Any bets that USAID directly sends money to the same places?

At a BBC town hall in Glasgow, the BBC started out by  attacking President Trump, which raised a backlash.

Is a "free press" is really "free" if it is being subsidized by the government? He who pays you, controls you. Just look at the people upset by the auditing of US Government expenditures.

A few days ago I read a comment online that the United States should continue all aid spending because we "have the money." A $36 Trillion deficit says otherwise. How much of that money is being kicked back to those who should be keeping a better eye on things?

It is about time that all government spending be audited.