International aid is such a cheap way to get soft-power while also being able to, you know, help people. Even if a lot of it is misused or inefficiently used the soft-power is there.

A lot of that soft-power has been spent on getting other countries to be more democratic, which is a good thing. Although I don't doubt it has been used for bad reasons as well.

The funny thing is just how inverted the situation is, for years leftists were saying that this kind of foreign aid is often used to hold small countries hostage. While the right wanted to keep the soft-power the aid gives and claiming this kind of aid is used to keep countries democratic.

Now the right is "screw soft-power" and the left is "think of the children". And in the middle people suffering like always.

The worse part is that a lot/most of that aid is probably of very benign influence, but it is definitely also used for nefarious reasons.

The "traditional right wing" has been vocal about many things over the years. Nearly every single one has bent their knee.