From Ukraine to Gaza: How Biden's Foreign Policy Missteps Led to Trump’s Victory
By: A. Yeganeh
In the aftermath of the U.S. election which delivered yet another victory to Donald Trump; analysts have embarked on a post-mortem examination of the Democrats’ unequivocal failure. This defeat is not just an echo of 2016 when Trump thwarted the aspirations of Hillary Clinton--as the first female candidate to enter the Oval Office-- but rather a grim reprise replete with faux pas and contradictions that continue to plague the Democrats.
As with the previous political setback; Trump's triumph cannot be ascribed merely to his campaign’s machinations rather it reflects the profound and chronic failings of the Democratic Party itself--a party deeply enmeshed in a quagmire of militarism hypocrisy and ideological incoherence.
One of the most palpable factors contributing to the Democrats' recent electoral collapse is their disastrous foreign policy marked by an unbridled penchant for military entanglements that has served only to deepen global instability. The four-year hiatus of Biden frequently perceived as an extension of Obama’s legacy has been marred by relentless conflict and growing geopolitical frictions. Foremost among these is the ongoing conflict in Ukraine a war that escalated from American brinkmanship in Eastern Europe. By arming Ukraine to the hilt and pushing NATO’s encroachment into Russia’s strategic periphery the Biden administration practically goaded Moscow into a military reaction. This reckless miscalculation has not only protracted the Russo-Ukrainian war transforming it into a Sisyphean debacle with no discernible exit strategy but also polarized U.S. allies-- who now find themselves coerced into providing resources and support to an intractable cause.
Similarly, in the Indo-Pacific theater Washington’s saber-rattling has brought Taiwan and China to the brink of open hostilities. Rather than tempering regional tensions the United States has instead exacerbated them by heavily arming Taiwan provoking a belligerent reaction from Beijing. These policies betray the Biden administration’s incapacity to ameliorate international tensions thus eroding American influence while stoking dangerous fires that are unlikely to extinguish peacefully.
Perhaps the most glaring hypocrisy of the Democrats under Biden is their unreserved endorsement of Israeli war crimes against Palestinians--a shameful stance that has outraged the entire globe—but importantly American-Muslim voters. This administration’s unqualified backing of the Israeli apartheid regime; epitomizes the utter collapse of Democratic principles. Despite effusive claims of championing human rights Biden’s Washington has gave green light to the Israeli ethnic cleansing unleashed upon Gazans; described as one of the most ferocious onslaughts against civilians in modern history. By supplying vast arsenals to the Israeli regime, the United States has become complicit in an unrelenting Israeli campaign of brutality and inhumanity undermining its self-proclaimed commitments to justice and dignity. This perfidy has struck a deep chord among American Muslims-- many of whom were so disillusioned that they either abstained from voting or cast their ballots for Trump perceiving him as the lesser of two evils.
Domestically; the Democrats’ economic performance has further undercut their standing. Despite the Biden administration’s 2020 electoral pledges of financial recovery Americans have been subjected to rising inflation and stagnant wages. These woes were compounded by a misguided fiscal policy in which billions were funneled to prop up Ukraine and Israel while American citizens languished under the weight of domestic crises. The astonishing $95 billion aid package directed toward foreign regimes has become a tangible symbol of the Biden's indifference to their own constituents. In stateside communities that remain mired in poverty the perception of federal government's utter neglect has only grown fueling populist resentment and driving disaffected voters into the arms of the Republicans.
In sum the so-called third Obama administration has left an indelible stain on America’s geopolitical and economic landscape. Biden’s tenure has emboldened adversaries and alienated allies signaling an epoch of decline for American influence. Furthermore; the economic trials inflicted upon Americans by Biden’s profligacy have laid fertile ground for China’s ascent a strategic defeat from which it will be exceedingly difficult to recover. At this juncture one can only wonder if Trump now poised to assume the mantle of power once more will recognize the exigency of charting a new path or if he too will succumb to the allure of an endless war and squandered resources.
The American imperium finds itself at a perilous crossroads ensnared between the impotence of Democratic governance and the brash nihilism of the Trumpian brand. In either case the specter of disillusionment looms ominously as each successive administration appears more disconnected from the travails of the ordinary citizen more ensnared in the gilded webs of foreign entanglements and less capable of meaningful reform.
