Part 4/10:
To understand the controversial operations of U.S. Aid, we must travel back to its origins beginning in the aftermath of World War II. The United States faced a choice: either retreat into isolationism or step up as a global leader. The Marshall Plan (1948) marked America’s first foray into using foreign aid as a means to secure political influence and ensure the embrace of democracy and capitalism over communism. But this long-standing strategy morphed into a vehicle for American interests, particularly during the Cold War, when aid dictated the allegiance of nations to either the U.S. or the Soviet Union.