Name? Joe Biden
Westphalian identity? United States American
Age? 78
Why is he in the news? President Joe Biden addressed the General Assembly at the United Nations yesterday. His speech focused on the United States’ renewed commitment to multilateralism, even expanding to collaborate with nations they may have “intense disagreements in other areas.”
Why do we care? Biden’s words, and the diplomatic actions that come attached with them, want to represent a(nother) turning point for American foreign policy. “Instead of continuing to fight the wars of the past, we are fixing our eyes on devoting our resources to the challenges that hold the keys to our collective future,” Biden said. Like the rest of the world, we want to see these promises fulfilled.
Why should you care? Whether we like it or not, the U.S. remains one of the most influential countries in the world. Therefore, when Biden shifts the US military power to a “tool of last resort, not our first,” the world listens. In sum, whether you’re eager to see less US military engagement in the world or not, either way, you should care 7/10.
Who else cares? As mentioned in Monday’s daily, French President Macron. This frustration likely grew after Biden met only with Australian PM Morrison at the UN and then UK PM Johnson a few hours later at the White House. With these two meetings and seemingly little effort to appease his French counterpart and the recalled ambassadors, it is unlikely Biden will be eating croissants and escargot anytime soon…
Any further comments? Although he would never admit it, Biden’s speech draws similarities to Xi Jinping’s own restrained language in which the Chinese leader asserted that he also supports peaceful development for all peoples. Ultimately, both Biden and Xi sought to wow the world with talks of peace and renewed commitments on fighting climate change and Covid19 while their actions and back-room diplomacy proved far more hypocritical than humanitarian.
