America’s foreign policy need not be directed by opinion polls. However, it should at least be guided by the actual current needs and general philosophy of the nation.
In the face of massive and growing external threats, combined with mounting economic challenges, a nonpartisan foreign policy does not appear out of reach. The basics are clear. Discourage armed assaults on the U.S., its allies, and interests by maintaining superior armed strength, diplomatic influence, and economic resources. Ensure that the commerce and supply required for prosperity is maintained. Secure the borders to prevent hazardous problems from infiltrating. Deal as much as possible with nations that respect freedom and human rights.
The Biden approach does not reflect this. Instead, it appears geared towards projecting support for his internal political base, motivated not by achieving security and prosperity for the country but by appeasing the left wing of his own party. Given the financial relationship now being made clear following the confirmation of the information found on the Hunter Biden laptop, it is not inappropriate to question whether Biden family finances play a role as well.
The problem can be seen in the current White House approach to several issues. Many have been deeply disappointed at the very low-key response the Administration has had to the horrific human rights abuses seen daily in the headlines about China and Iran. It was observed in the reluctance it had to take steps to discourage Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. (The billions now spent by the West, and the lives lost by so many Ukrainians, might have been saved if Biden had telegraphed its determination to counter the Kremlin’s plans.)
It is also noticeable in the comparatively conciliatory attitude it has had towards Venezuela, as the Administration seeks Caracas’ help to mask the energy problems Biden has created.
Massive lockdowns of whole communities provoked widescale outbreaks of protests throughout China, despite the severe repercussions the participants face. The situation became so intense that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been forced to at least partially back down. Despite obvious appeals to U.S. sentiment by Chinese activists, including quoting from American Revolutionary War sayings, Biden’s response has been, at most, low key. It did not prevent a planning meeting between Biden and Xi, or, apparently, become a major issue at the gathering. There is no expectation that the U.S. would directly intervene in the matter; that would hand a propaganda victory to the CCP, which habitually labels any dissent as foreign inspired. But it would have been a welcomed and rewarding move for the White House to be more emphatic in condemning the CCP’s repression. Think of the dramatic impact of President Ronald Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” speech. It is difficult to cite a legitimate reason for Biden’s reluctance
A very similar argument could be made about the unspeakable repression now occurring in Iran.
While paying less than necessary attention to the devastation of human rights in China and Iran, the Administration has been intensely enthusiastic about concentrating on LQBTQ+ issues overseas. Secretary of State Antony Blinken authorized American embassies around the world to fly the Gay Pride flag on the same flagpole as the American banner. This plays well with the activist wing of the Democrat Party that Biden desperately curries favor with. It’s an easy publicity stunt that looks good in leftist journals, and deflects attention away from the Administration’s lack of substantive support for freedom fighters, including oppressed gays, in Iran.
The Biden Administration’s domestic missteps play a role that should not be ignored. The inexplicable destruction of American energy independence explains why the White House has cozied up to the criminal regime in Venezuela. It also describes why, after harshly condemning Saudi Arabia, the President has now gone hat-in-hand to that nation’s rulers begging for oil favors. His Administration’s incompetence in that region may lead to further dire consequences. The massive Trump-era Middle East gains could now being replaced by Chinese advances, thanks to Biden’s missteps.
Most fundamental to any international policy is the control of one’s own borders. For reasons that have never been explained, the Biden Administration has rejected the practice of meaningful border control. Chinese-made, Mexican Cartel-wholesaled fentanyl devastates the U.S., a foreign policy crisis utterly ignored by Biden.