While announcing nominees for his national security and foreign policy team on Tuesday, Joe Biden declared that “America is back” and “ready to lead the world.” The former vice president’s comments are an apparent swipe at President Trump’s “America First” foreign policy.
“It’s a team that reflects the fact that America is back, ready to lead the world, not retreat from it, once again sit at the head of the table, ready to confront our adversaries and not reject our allies, ready to stand up for our values,” Biden said.
Included in that team is Anthony Blinken, a former Obama administration official and long-time Biden aide who has a history of pushing for US intervention in places like Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Libya.
Biden told a news briefing in Wilmington, Delaware, that the appointment of Blinken would rebuild trust in the US State Department and stressed the need to rebuild alliances. Biden said that the world leaders he has spoken to are “looking forward to the United States reasserting its historic role as a global leader.”
Avril Haines was picked to be Biden’s director of national intelligence, who served as both the deputy director of the CIA and the deputy national security advisor under Obama. Haines has a history of running cover for CIA torture programs and served under former CIA chief John Brennan when the Obama administration dramatically increased drone strikes.
Other nominees announced on Tuesday include Jake Sullivan as national security advisor, Linda Thomas-Greenfield as US ambassador to the United Nations, and Alejandro Mayorkas to head the department of homeland security, all former Obama administration officials. John Kerry was also picked for a new position that will deal with climate change.
There will be money spent on all those hungry military contractors who with horror listened to Trump’s call for diminished role of US in intervening in conflicts and policing the world . While he has not really reduced much that footprint — he has not start new wars. And for MIC — it is grow or die.
So, Biden sounds like he will be very obliging.
Those hungry military contractors aren’t stupid. They noticed that while he was making “diminished role of US intervening in conflicts” noises out of one side of his mouth, he was making “most militaristic president ever, let’s shovel even MORE money into the MIC’s maw” noises out of the other. And they also noticed the proof was in the pudding: He escalated every conflict that had been set up for him to escalate, and the cash flowed not just accordingly but in a flood.
I am not blind to Trump shortcomings. His excessive and unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric being one of them.
From what I see he DEFINITELY reduced US troops and area under US control in Syria. And it was only the shocked, well known MIC mouthpieces that kept some of them to insure later expansion.
One can question actual impact of Trump war record. What is unquestionable is that warfare establishment — from MIC to media, from high-tech war profiteers, to who-is-who in global “leadership” by military might — all were against Trump.
Why? I do not believe it is because he made them rich. And I do not believe it is because of their unselfish, humanitarian instincts.
They wanted him out. Even talking about withdrawals made certain circles go into sheer panic. Who are those people? All have names, right? All have clear warmongering pedigree.
Clearly, Trump failed in providing “global leadership”, and failed to “sit at the top of the table”, as Biden promises.
Biden brings back the patronizing and so obliviously racist approach to the “Rest” of the world’s children for “West” to guide and coerce into “behaving” in a manner we find acceptable.
The world has changed, so much so, that Biden and the overly confident MIC may be sleepwalking into uncharted waters.
” What is unquestionable is that warfare establishment — from MIC to media, from high-tech war profiteers, to who-is-who in global “leadership” by military might — all were against Trump.
Why?”
The MIC/Deep State knew that Trump was a wild card and someone they could not control completely. Blackmail wouldn’t work on him because his skeletons were pretty much all hanging outside of the closet, and his supporters didn’t care about them. That’s why.
Excellent as usual Bianca!
I’m curious as to how Biden’s foreign policy will be perceived if he doesn’t start any new wars. If he only escalates the old wars and sanctions half the world into economic misery will people still be hanging there hat on “no new wars”?
Nobody is hanging on. You can just look at Syria footprint in Obama era, and after Trump pullout. Syria’s secessionists had to concede their territorial control over their capital, Kobane, and all of the border areas with Turkey, all of Euphrates valley. Syria gained 20% of its territory. These are facts,
Biden may not start new wars — he knows the political risk. But his backers is a bit blinded by global situation and will miscalculate. I am afraid he will oblige them.
I could point out at what Trump did with Iran and the “maximum pressure campaign” and the misery it is causing the average person in Iran and still be told “no new wars”. Or point out his vetoing bills that would have ended Yemen’s misery and still hear “no new wars”. Even Syria, two missile strikes, sitting on their oil and the ceasar sanctions and, well, you already made my point.
Yes, there is no defending the bi-polar universe that Trump inhabited. None,
But I think the bigger picture has changed — whether he planned it or not. I will give him credit for being the wrecking ball, the instrument of cracking the monolithic facade of imperial overreach. I checked out many Trump supporting web sites, and to my surprise found a great deal of understanding how the imperial policy works.
What has changed?
No more is talk of imperial money waste and inhuman romp around the world owned by the left. While paleo-conservatives always argued against the war, now it is a conservative mainstream. Trump’s erratic behavior is to many just a proof that “deep state” is against what people want. If you add to this the mistrust of media, academia, and establishment — a change in public opinion is under way.
We will see if Biden will be able to shift pubic sentiment and talk up more sanctimonious military action.
Somehow I doubt it.
But the wrecking ball gave us Biden. I’ve been saying it since Trump first started running his mouth that the country would long for the “good old days” and sure enough a senile feeble old man got 80 million votes. So here we are.
“You can just look at Syria footprint in Obama era, and after Trump pullout.”
Obama era: About 400 troops.
Trump “pullout”: Escalation to 2,500 troops, firing more artillery than in the entire 2003 invasion of Iraq, drawdown to 800. Some “pullout.”
Yes, he increased troops, but gave back territory to Damascus. Key territory. Of course he increased troops, as he wanted to be a winner by tackling ISIS. That is, after Iraqi forces knocked in the door of Mosul, having wiped out ISIIS stronghold in Fallujah — contrary to US generals recommendation. And if Mosul was to fall, Caliphate would not be viable in Syria alone. Trump simply decided to fight ISIS after it was decisively losing in Iraq and Syria.
Obama was committed to Sunni state carved out from two countries and under unpalatable banner of ISIS. Biden was more open at the time. He can have a big mouth as well. Biden openly advocated Sunni state (Iraq and Syria), Kurdish state (Iraq, Syria and possibly some Turkey) and Shia state.
But in spite of massive support for ISIS by the former Saudi Interior Minister and then our favorite Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayaf (very interesting biography) — ISIS could not stand up to Iraqi forces, bolstered by Shia militia. ISIS lost agains Syrian Army bolstered by Russian air support, as well as Turkey offensive on Al-Bab, and various militias (Christian, Shia and Palestinian).
What was left of US support for PKK Kurds in Iraq was easily wiped out by Iraqi Army in Kirkuk.
The excited mainstream media predictions of ISIS moving to Syria were dashed by Iraqi forces after takeover of Sinjar.
The only ISIS left was in US air controlled territory in Syria. An elaborate plan was hatched to salvage Kurd cause — SDF became a vehicle for removing remnant ISIS from Raqqa and the rest of the US controlled region, and deliver it to Kurds. When Raqqa fell, ISIS presumably disappeared into “desert”. Suuure.
Trump plan — such as it is — worked. But it did not sit well with Turkey nor Damascus. And when Trump struck a deal with Turkey, that collapsed Kurdish entity, and Syrian, Russian and Turkish forces moved in, Whatever protestations come from Damascus about Turkey, they are chiefly fir the purpose of driving Kurds into seeking Damascus protection. In reality, Turkey has contributed to liberating Syria by taking under its control many Islamic groups in the border region and Idlib, beat ISIS at key junction, Al-Bab, and dismantled any statehood hopes for Kurds.
Trump has given up on Syrian Kurds, as his advisors must gave pointed out that without Iraqi Kurds and Turkish Kurds, control of tristate area was impossible.
Trump did what Biden probably would have done under circumstances. Without Iraq — neither Kurdish state nor Sunni state were viable.
But you never know. Biden may still live in the glory days of Clinton-Bush era, of which Obama era was a sunset. Even in sunset, Biden felt the warmth and the glow of empire.
He is in a different world today. Trump tried to adapt to change — but using outdated tools of power.
Can Biden go back in time?
I hope there is an understanding of the complexity of Syrian microcosm. It is not about number of soldiers!
Biden is a proven serial liar, and a bought and paid for stooge who couldn’t lead anyone. America is a failed state..and has failed its population on all accounts. The world at large rolls their eyes at such delusional bs coming from Uncle Joe!
the US oligarchy spent billions to install the comatose cadaver, biden—an empty chair designed to preside over the decline and fall of the empire
Says a guy who can’t even wipe his own ass …
The Empire is back, time to rule the World again!
The Empire never left.
And the world’s children are breathlessly waiting for Uncle Joe to come to the “head of the table” and preside over their squabbles.
Except that many have figured out on their own how to manage their own affairs without a guardian. Even South Korea and Japan have put aside their differences with China to sign a trade deal, that includes the entire ten member ASEAN, as well as Australia and New Zealand.
China and Japan are meeting on East China Sea issues. I guess they can manage to talk to each other without expecting Uncle Joe to manage their conversation.
I would guess the US is already well advanced in it`s plans to throw a spanner in the works haveing the audacity to sign trade deals without US consent ain`t going to go down well .
America leading the world right into the ABYSS .
Somewhere in the dark spaces between their ears, Blinken and Haines must realize that the assassination of Ghadaffi was not right, and neither was the inculcation of the SDF and ISIS. Last night I watched the replay of John McCain blasting Blinken’s nomination, making him sound too dovish. Whatever they do in the next four years, Assad is defended by Russia. I fully expect Russia to become more vigilant in its resistance to Judeo-Masonic American imperialism. The sad thing is, Russia doesn’t want to have to build so many more weapons. It’s being forced into this position, as is China, because they realize the Judeo-Masonic American lust for world domination is a permanent threat to their governments. We can look forward to more of the same-old, destructive “diplomacy” that will also seek to expand NATO, and form the “Asian NATO”.
The end result could be Russia /China are forced into a military allience which will really put the cat among the pigeons , i could be wrong but i think the Chinese/Russians have some sort of understanding in that department and if they have the US should take note , After all Russia stretches from Europe to China ergo Russian planes can fly all the way to China without leaveing Russian air space and vice versa.
By “lead”. he means “rule -with an iron fist”
Now, the world can stop wandering around aimlessly.
As with Schumer saying, “now we take Georgia then, the world”, maybe “the world” doesn’t want our changes or leadership. Were I in another country facing this kind of forced leadership I would hope my country’s government would have the cajones to tell Biden, et al, to take a hike.
1. Am I the only one in the 95% of humanity that isnt a yank who is sick and tired of the idea that America is the worlds “leader”.? If it is to be so, then (like the 1776 revolutionaries fought to achieve) when do we get a vote? 2. Doesnt this idea that thePOTUS is the world potentate scare the crap out of American Christian fundies given their devotion to interpreting everything in life according to the latter part of Revelation?
Correct. The whole idea that we children all need a big brother or kind dad to “lead us”, and have chosen the most belligerent, greedy, over-armed nation to take on this job is not supported by polls of people all over the world we are all supposed to share.
The supreme arrogance and hubris are set continue in the new “administration”.
“America Is Back”, that’s what Arnold Schwarzenegger said at the GOP Convention in ’04 and what Reagan said when he was president. Now Biden is saying that. They couldn’t explain where America went in the meantime.
Very well done!! 👏👏👏
Parents, if you have a child (boy or girl) who is going to be of draft age in the next 4-8 years, talk to them about moving to Canada.