The New American Foreign Policy

On Thursday, in an eagerly awaited speech, Joe Biden gave a broad outline of his foreign policy. Surprisingly, this is a continuation of Barack Obama’s foreign policy and it gives prominence to the current problems facing the United States.

Biden seeks to rebuild trust and regain leadership in the defense of democracy and the protection of rights and freedoms. To achieve this, he wanted to rebuild the American economy and restore power to the middle class. It almost echoes Donald Trump’s slogan: Make America Great Again.

1. Where did the US international challenges come from?

No American leader has dared to describe the problems of the United States: since the end of World War II, the relative weight of the United States has halved, with less than 30% of the world economy, purchasing power parity. The weight of the Western population has followed the same declining trend. Western populations now make up only 15% of the world’s population, more than a third of 70 years ago. These economic and demographic factors explain the tension and testing of facts between American claims in the international arena.

2. How does Biden want to strengthen American power?

Biden pledged to invest heavily in science and technology, especially the applied sciences, so that the United States regains its competitiveness and is “unmatched” by any other country. But Biden’s arguments come from another era. Since the days when science and technology were largely dominated by the United States. It no longer exists. For example, over the years, the United States has dropped to third place in the world in new patent holders. Huge investments in science and technology will help the United States, but will not restore it to its former strength.

3. What is Biden’s policy towards China and Russia?

Trump’s clumsy diplomacy has opened the field to China and it has destabilized other democracies. Biden announced a tough stance on Russia and China, but acknowledged that cooperation with China was inevitable in some areas. He announced the return of the United States to all international fora, beginning with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. But the task was long and difficult: the U.S. State Department lost about 1,000 career diplomats during the Trump years.

4. What measures did Biden announce?

Biden announced some strong measures. For example, in Yemen’s deadly colony the US government no longer supports the Saudi dictatorship. Biden announced that the German military would not leave Germany as a means of reassuring allies about the US commitment to NATO.

5. What is the impact of the Radical Democratic wing on Biden?

Biden understood that gestures in favor of his radical faction were necessary for the unity of his party, and therefore his attitude in favor of refugees and the LGBT people. At the moment, he seems to be in good hands with the situation. One of the dangers facing his party is turning towards its awakened wing. The Republican Party turned to its right moderation.