Today one of our customers came in to pay her bill, and of course the topic of current news and politics came up. This customer is an older lady who is very liberal and really hates Trump, Musk (she called him "Muskrat," so unoriginal), and any and all Republicans or Conservatives in politics.
She mentioned USAID and how she hates that it's being "torn down" because they do so much "good" in places like Gaza and Africa. (I kept wondering to myself why those places are of any concern to us or how it helps us here.) She then said that she has an old friend who lives in Maine whose daughter was the "Vice Chair of USAID." I checked to see if she was right, and from the most recent info from 2024 the Vice Chair was a man, so our customer may have gotten the position of her friend's daughter wrong, the daughter was just recently elected to Vice Chair, or something else happened (given her age and cognitive level I don't doubt she got something mixed up). She said the daughter "put on a disguise" and "snuck into Gaza to hand out food" to the "poor, starving, innocent people."
Question: Why would the Vice Chair of USAID sneak into Gaza to "hand out" food? Is this the job of someone in a high position like Vice Chair? Why do they absolutely need to get into Gaza to hand out food? Is it really going to starving people, or to Hamas terrorist cells? Is it even food at all?? Follow the money...
Take this whole story with a huge heaping of salt. I don't think our customer would lie about something so specifically weird, she's a nice enough lady despite her political beliefs, but she truly believes that USAID and all these other government organizations are "just" and "constitutional." This may not be really important in the end, but I thought it was a very strange story and it got my spidey-senses tingling when I heard it.
Sounds like that old lady likes to spin yarn
Either that or she's surrounded by liberal friends and families who spin yarn for her and she soaks it all in like alcohol because it fits her beliefs and narratives
Could be, but I've known her for years and she isn't one to lie or exaggerate. Still the story was very strange and thought it might be worth posting about.
I've known her a long time, she's not the type to lie, however her friend may have told her some bogus story for whatever reason they have. Either way she truly believes it because MSNBC told her "orange man and muskrat man bad."
The liberal mind doesn't see anything that advances their agenda as a lie.
It was a lie.
I don't think she lied, I've known her a long time and know she's not the type to lie, however her old friend may have lied and told her that story for whatever reason.
It's going to take some time for people like that nice old lady. It's still early days into the changing situation for these people.
They might start to awaken as the pace increases. It may take something that appears horrific to them for the penny to drop.
You may then be in a position to guide her as to what is occurring, but don't hold your breath waiting.
As for that friends daughter being in a senior position in an "Aid Agency" and going " Boots on ground" into a war zone, that's highly unusual to say the least. There may be a smell of USAID's good partners in the CIA being involved!
My thoughts too. She really is a nice old lady, she just unfortunately has bought into the lie that "the Democrat party is for the every-man and working-man!" I think she could eventually see the light but the problem is that she still listens to the likes of MSNBC and NPR.
Hopefully she will be receptive to advise when the time is right for her. I wish you success if she gives you an opportunity to help her. All the best of luck, fren.
Thanks fren, happy Sunday!
Have a good Sunday, fren!
Liberals live in a make believe fantasy world where government is nothing but a force for good.
“Starving children” = terrorists. That person probably snug in money since the US can’t on paper give more money to hamas but still need to sponsor both sides of the war to assure it will continue
She snuck into Gaza to remove some of the lettuce they shipped over. Not really any different then when the US shipped $20 BILLION in cash to Iran.
OK lady, YOU donate to those places of YOUR choice.
It is wrong to force other people to give to charities of YOUR choice rather than their own choices.
Exactly. If she cares so dearly about randos in Gaza or the middle of Africa she can donate her social security check to them.
they never fact check, they shoot off at the mouth with inaccuracies of the most basic kind
It is probably a lie, but to be fair she did say was.
Also remember - USAID and NED are both commonly called the second CIA. I can see how someone could go into an area to "hand out food" as a cover, and meet with the people they are really there to meet at night.
This could be it, though I really think she got the position of her friend's daughter mixed up, either that or it's just a crazy story from an old lady.
Oh yeah that’s true alright, she’s talking about my ex wife and daughter who is married to a trans man. He has breasts and a penis. Gentlemen don’t ever get hooked up with a liberal from Maine they are a special kind of crazy. Lazy as hell and always the victim . Looking for a cause to save the world from their daddy issues. Cursed with miss placed affection. Vicious and resentful. And they also have their down side,
Sounds better than saying I deliver arms to Hamas and to Israel to perpetuate endless conflict. So the disguise and sneaking are true…
They will create any illusion they must so that they may continue to justify a foundational belief despite any and all evidence to the contrary. This woman may have believed what she said but only because she convinced herself of the lie.
I think so too.
Do you really need a forum to convince you she's an old bat? I think you already know.
I didn't need to be convinced of anything, just thought this was a weird experience that others might find interesting, whether any of what she said was true or not. By the way, we've known this lady for dozens of years, we know she's not the type to lie or exaggerate, despite being a hardcore Democrat.
Sounds like you had the chance to let her know none of the money went to help people. Why didnt you?
Generally companies don't like their employees schooling the customers.
^^^This is why. I wish so badly I could have said something but knew it would have taken at least an hour to explain anything to her, and it was Friday night and literally 5 minutes from closing so we just wanted to get her out so we could close up.