Biden¡¯s State Of The Union Address: A Foreign War And Challenges At Home
Every U.S. president comes to office promising that their policies will put America and the American people first, and a good foreign policy begins at home.
Every U.S. president comes to office promising that their policies will put America and the American people first, and a good foreign policy begins at home. However, often the world outside jolts the U.S. president out of this trance and reminds the travesty of being a great power.
Such a dilemma is writ large yet again in President Joe Biden¡¯s first State of the Union address to the joint session of the U.S. Congress. Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine and the escalating crisis has clearly overwhelmed the Biden presidency at the end of his first year in office and before the mid-term Congressional elections later this year.
That this crisis comes close on the heels of the hasty U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan raises more eyebrows of those already questioning America¡¯s global leadership. This crisis has sort of united the U.S. and its NATO allies, but it has also come at a time when Washington¡¯s capability, if not intention, to rise to geopolitical challenges abroad like China¡¯s rise, while attending to the needs of the American people at home is under scrutiny.
AFP
The President and Foreign Wars
Foreign wars divide as well unite the American policymakers and electorate. While a rising threat to U.S. national security or to the security of its allies may ignite a support for the U.S. president, it can also divide opinions.
From the Spanish-American war to the two World Wars, from the hugely unpopular Vietnam war to the long-drawn Afghanistan war, wider public opinion in America, as well political positions within the American beltway have swayed from unity to division. Russia¡¯s aggression in Ukraine has ignited a wave of unity behind a stronger American stand against Russia, and the mood was palpable during Biden¡¯s speech, which also saw the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. as an invitee.
In unison with its European allies, through military transfers and comprehensive sanctions, the Biden administration has been trying to make aggression costly for Moscow. It remains to be seen to what extent the crisis gets escalated, and in what ways it gets de-escalated, but one thing is clear, this is a defining moment in the flux of post-World War II European security order and by second order effect, in the Indo-Pacific security dynamics and hence, the global security order. Once the dust of war settles down, Washington and its NATO allies will have to sit down with Moscow to determine the new redlines of European security order and stability.
The Ukraine crisis also comes at a time when the United States is facing an uphill task of managing China¡¯s assertion across the Indo-Pacific. The unfolding situation in the Euro-Atlantic theatre if not handled and settled fast, will open a new quicksand for U.S. strategy to the benefit of Beijing and further cement the growing yet fragile China-Russia strategic embrace.
Is the American House in Order?
Reuters
Despite a foreign war looming and Biden¡¯s call for a united front against Russia, the political and socio-economic situation in the United States does not present a rosy picture. Biden hardly has had any honeymoon period at the White House, with the controversial Afghanistan withdrawal, the Taiwan flashpoint, the Ukraine crisis, the pandemic variants, and the political plus socio-economic fissures in the U.S.
The economic recovery has been a major focus of the Biden administration, as he contended that ¡°our economy created over 6.5 million new jobs just last year¡± and ¡°our economy grew at a rate of 5.7% last year¡± and doubled down on his vision for the working class of America, perhaps a weak spot for the Democrats during elections. Economic globalisation often becomes a victim in political speeches, and America is no different.
There was a heavy dose of ¡°America First¡± with calls for investing in America, educating Americans, and buying American. For some time now, fixing American infrastructure which Biden pointed out was ranked 13th in the world, has been a primary challenge and hence, his call to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Making American healthcare inclusive and affordable plus moving ahead in immigration reform were some of the expected shout-out points in the speech.
What Happens in America, Does Not Stay in America
AP
The Ukraine crisis clearly heralds a new moment in the quest for a new world order, and the uncertainties it unfolds are many in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. In a short span of time in his first year, Biden has witnessed some fundamental questions of American leadership and credibility.
From Afghanistan to Taiwan and now to Ukraine, America¡¯s ability to shape regional and global outcomes is being questioned, if not challenged. The conditions of Americans at home, has profound implications for global security and economics, and the world will watch keenly as Biden prepares to scale up his promises at home and abroad, in his remaining presidential days.
The Author currently teaches at the Amity Institute of International Studies (AIIS), Amity University, Noida. He is a regular commentator on international affairs and India¡¯s foreign policy. The views expressed in the article are author's own.
