Trump’s Awful Decision to Gut Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Yesterday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order essentially gutting Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and other US government-supported media aimed at getting news and information to populations living under authoritarian regimes. The EO has resulted in a freeze of their congressionally allocated funds, and puts all or most staff on leave (presumably in preparation for laying them off permanently).
Trump’s order is a blow to America’s “soft power” and to dissidents battling anti-American authoritarian regimes. VOA, RFE/RL and other similar media are among the few federal programs whose value far exceeds the money expended on them.
During the Cold War, millions of people living under communist regimes listened to these networks, and got news and analysis that countered regime propaganda. These media helped inspire dissident movements, and the eventual overthrow of communism in the USSR and Eastern Europe in 1989-91. My own parents were among the many Soviet citizens who clandestinely listened to VOA broadcasts, and it helped solidify their opposition to the regime.
In more recent years, VOA and RFE/RL operate on the internet as much or more than on traditional radio. But they continue to be valuable resources for dissidents and others living under authoritarian regimes, such as those of Russia and Belarus. Radio Free Asia and Radio Marti provide similar services for China and Cuba, respectively.
Shutting these programs down is an obvious boon to dictators like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. As Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza puts it, Trump’s EO is
Article from Reason.com
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