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For many Germans, the indelible World War II memory is a U.S. GI handing them a chocolate bar.
No doubt the candy was accompanied by a smile and maybe a few words in German. More than the sweetness, humanity endured. The memory lasted generations and the story was retold over and over.
That goodwill gesture was followed by the Marshall Plan, the most ambitious assistance program in history. The Marshall Plan worked. European countries devastated by the war got back on their feet, thanks to American know-how, agriculture, and credit.
Even more powerful than a chocolate bar is the ability to say, “my child was born in the American clinic,” or “the Americans built the road that leads to the capitol, allowing farmers like me to sell in the big city.” Japan also benefited from U.S. assistance and later Korea. Two shining examples of democracy and freedom today.
The Pacific is now an ocean of competition between the United States and China. The U.S. is opening new embassies in the region while China’s humanitarian “Peace Ark” ship cruises into Pacific ports to treat patients and expand China’s influence. We need every bit of influence we can muster.
That’s why dismantling the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, our most effective assistance tool, makes no sense.
I counsel American soldiers getting ready to deploy to U.S. embassies worldwide. I tell them that the “Country Team,” the ambassadors’ senior leaders from the agencies at the embassy, functions better than the interagency in Washington.
An embassy hitting on all cylinders is a wonderful thing to experience. Public diplomacy programs with sports ambassadors create goodwill for American businesses.
U.S. Agency for International Assistance programs give the ambassador useful information about life “upcountry,” since USAID and Peace Corps are out in the field doing their specialized work.
They are the eyes and ears for the embassy, proving important political and security intelligence. The ambassador’s knowledge of the country becomes as finely tuned as an alligator’s. If a frog jumps into the pond, the alligator knows!
USAID is meant to be a lifeline for the poor but is more than that. It is an outlet for American farm goods. It responds to disasters worldwide. It plays an essential role in the triad of development, diplomacy, and defense that makes up the foreign policy effort.
And there is simply good humanitarian work, like clearing landmines. In the Marshall Islands, USAID responded to drought and dengue disasters.
Yes, USAID can do better. We can return to the basics of building schools, roads, and hospitals. We can even start in war-torn Gaza and Ukraine. But we can’t cede this leadership role to others. The U.S. can and should lead. Let’s craft an assistance plan for the 21st Century.
And let’s be sure to include some chocolate.
Tom Armbruster served as U.S. ambassador to the Marshall Islands from 2012- 2016 and worked on opening the new Embassy in Nuku‘alofa, Tonga in 2023.
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