The article from the Mises Institute argues that government assistance programs, both domestic and foreign (like USAID), are not effective and are used to maintain political power. The author contends that these programs create dependency, inflate costs, and fund organizations that promote the government’s agenda, rather than genuinely helping the needy. A temporary freeze on these programs highlighted the media’s focus on the immediate suffering of aid recipients, which the author frames as a tactic to prevent spending cuts. Ultimately, the piece claims the vulnerable are used as “human shields” to protect wasteful government spending.

https://mises.org/mises-wire/needy-are-human-shields-american-regime