Brookings Institution: U.S. foreign aid is worth defending now more than ever

John R. Allen, president of the Brookings Institution, writes, “The U.S. government is giving short shrift to international development goals and American values, China appears poised to eclipse America’s economic dominance, and the climate crisis is now an existential threat to us all. … American values are alive and well, despite increasing U.S. government disengagement on these issues. In summary, American grassroots support and leadership persists; we simply need to celebrate it. It comes from mayors and governors, new philanthropists, tech disrupters, and social entrepreneurs who are transforming the aid industry. We need to highlight these stories and insert them into the discourse and narrative of the 2020 election. Today’s development challenges reach our shores in many ways; tackling them requires the sort of U.S. leadership that projects American values and works in concert with our longstanding allies…” (9/4).