At the edges of Southeast Asia, in the borderlands of Myanmar, thousands of teachers risk their lives to educate children who fled military rule. They teach in makeshift schools. They dodge bullets. And until recently, they had help from us.
USAID supported the life-saving, democracy-defending work of these educators. That support has now been cut.
The result? Children are being pulled from class. Teachers are going unpaid. A fragile, defiant alternative to military rule is being choked out by bureaucracy and silence.
And behind that silence is a storm of disinformation and cruelty—much of it fed by two men: Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
From Hope to Crisis
Since Myanmar’s military coup in 2021, a grassroots resistance movement has fought to preserve the country’s democratic aspirations. In defiance of the junta, civil society groups have built parallel institutions—especially schools—to keep alive the vision of a free and democratic Myanmar.
USAID helped make that possible. It funded education in conflict zones. It paid teachers who stood up to the regime. It supported displaced children who had lost homes, families, and access to learning.
Now that aid is gone. Slashed. Gutted.
This is not fiscal prudence. It’s political vandalism.
Disinformation and Sabotage
A major Washington Post investigation recently revealed how Russian disinformation networks have been actively undermining support for foreign aid. They didn't need to hack anything—they had Elon Musk.
Since taking over Twitter and transforming it into X, Musk has amplified anti-aid propaganda and silenced tools meant to expose state-backed lies. His platform has become a breeding ground for cynicism and conspiracy, and Musk himself has joined the chorus—mocking humanitarian programs, downplaying global suffering, and signal-boosting far-right voices.
Meanwhile, Trump’s allies in Congress have seized on that disinformation to slash USAID’s budget. The result is that children in Myanmar, Ukraine, Gaza, and dozens of other places now face the prospect of dying not because help isn’t available—but because we’ve chosen to look away.
This Is What Abandoning Democracy Looks Like
Progressives may wrestle with the legacy of American foreign policy—but this is not about empire. It is not about military intervention. This is about whether we still stand with people who risk everything to teach, to vote, to build free societies.
Myanmar’s educators are not asking for guns. They are asking for chalk, paper, and salaries. They are asking for dignity. And they are being met with silence.
What You Can Do
I am a volunteer with the Alliance for American Leadership, an organization of Americans who still believe in democracy, decency, and the power of good policy. Our mission is simple: protect USAID, push back against authoritarian propaganda, and defend the postwar values our grandparents fought for.
Between now and the 2026 midterms, we are working to recruit 5,000 grassroots advocates to fight for humanitarian aid, register new Democrats, and help elect candidates who will stand up for global compassion.
We are asking for your help:
First, call your Members of Congress. The Capitol switchboard is (202) 224-3121. It will connect you to your House representative or one of your senators. You do not need to be an expert—just tell them you support humanitarian aid and oppose cuts to USAID.
Second, please consider donating to the fight. Your contribution helps fund advocacy efforts, sustain communications infrastructure, and provide tools to organizers across the country. You can give here
And finally, if you believe that the West should still mean something, join us. Learn more, sign up for updates, and get involved at https://a4al.org
This is a fight over what kind of world we want to live in. If Musk and Trump get their way, the world becomes colder, crueler, and more dangerous. If we act, it doesn’t have to be.
