Joe Biden’s political journey has spanned over half a century – a duration influenced by both success and failure in varying measures. The majority of his career was spent as a middling Democrat where he achieved little of substance or note. His transition from city council member to U.S. senator, vice president, and, ultimately, president paints a picture of a career politician who remained in public service for most of his life, doing little to distinguish himself, but maximizing his own personal survival.
Throughout his early career in the Senate, Biden gained a reputation as a centrist Democrat. However, this centrist image was established during the years when the GOP controlled the White House, and it largely involved him acquiescing to conservative policies. This was particularly evident in his legislative efforts, which often revolved around making compromises on significant matters such as budget bills, judicial nominees, and regulatory expansion.
Biden’s time in the Senate reveals two key characteristics of his political philosophy: a willingness to work on understanding legislative issues and crafting policies, and a tendency to consolidate power within institutions. While these tendencies might impress some, they are essentially hallmarks of a lifelong bureaucrat, more interested in perpetuating his power and influence than in challenging the status quo or delivering genuine benefits to ordinary Americans.
Biden’s Senate tenure is most famously marred by his disturbingly lackadaisical approach towards international affairs. His decision to oppose the use of force against Saddam Hussein in 1991, an action supported by 40 other nations and the United Nations, highlighted his questionable judgement in this area. Yet, Biden inconsistently advocating for U.S. interference in the Bosnian Civil War, an act bereft of any global backing.
His foreign policy missteps continued when he opposed President Clinton’s proposed intervention in Haiti in 1994, only to support invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq post 9/11. This startling flip-flop in stance is indicative of a politician lacking a coherent viewpoint and strategy on global affairs. No wonder then that Robert Gates critically observed that Biden has been ‘wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.’
Painful personal tragedies, such as the sudden deaths of his wife and daughter and later, his son Beau, unfortunately mar the narrative of Biden’s political career. However, these events, while heartbreaking, do not excuse or compensate for poor policy judgements or misguided political decisions. If anything, his tendency to leverage these tragedies for political sympathy underscores a lack of genuine accomplishments to tout.
Biden’s vice-presidency under Obama was largely non-descript, save for the possibility of his Senate experience providing some assistance during the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Yet, it is his problematic tenure as president that truly encapsulates and epitomizes his political legacy.
Hurdled into the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, an economic recession, and rising unemployment, Biden had an unprecedented opportunity to prove his competence. Unfortunately, his response – a smaller COVID relief bill in comparison to Trump’s CARES Act – did more harm than good. It spiraled the country into inflation by late 2022, obscuring any positive economic recovery and directly impacting Americans’ everyday lives.
As president, Biden has figuratively tripped over his own legislative ambitions – pushing for a large infrastructure bill and the CHIPS Act while barely managing to pass them. The much-touted infrastructural bill and the CHIPS Act, which were lauded as game-changers, have done little to resuscitate American industry or to tangibly benefit ordinary citizens.
Biden’s self-proclaimed ‘major achievement’ of advocating for sweeping immigration reform was undermined by harsh pushback from Republicans, echoing a similar failure of George W. Bush. Biden’s inability to reconcile opposing viewpoints or garner sufficient bipartisan support further exemplified his inability to effectively lead or govern.
In a misguided attempt to actualize his campaign promise, Biden hastily withdrew troops from Afghanistan, a move so poorly executed it echoed of negligence rather than strategic military planning. Biden used the exit blueprint designed by the Trump administration as a shield for criticism, but the chaos that ensued was unmistakably a reflection of his lack of foresighted leadership.
Biden’s strategic blunder in Afghanistan casts a long shadow over any purported ‘success’ he may claim in foreign policy. The verity that he strong-armed two neutral countries, Sweden and Finland, into NATO cannot erase his failures elsewhere on the global stage.
Biden’s decision not to run for a second term feels more like a relief than a bold leadership move. His contributions to the post-pandemic economic recovery are overshadowed by the flare-up of inflation, his legislative victories are rendered hollow by their lack of tangible benefits, and his foreign policy lapses continue to reverberate globally.
Although Biden’s tenure at the helm might be perceived as ‘consequential’ by some, the genuine impact of his leadership has largely been negative. The disconcert of his contradicting stances, lack of long-lasting beneficial legislation, and catastrophic diplomatic decisions has left a blemish on the American political landscape. His stint as president will thus be remembered more as a period of missed opportunities and persistent challenges than genuine progress or achievement.
Biden’s Alarming Lack of Foreign Policy Judgment appeared first on Real News Now.
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