History will not be kind to Biden’s presidency
In less than two weeks, President Joe Biden will leave the White House, ending his one-term presidency, which analysts agree has left the long-time US politician frustrated and disillusioned about his legacy and achievements.
Biden, now 82, has already set many personal records that he would rather be omitted from history. His most prominent foe was his age and mental state; notably, his poor performance at last June’s presidential debate, which turned his world around, drove his closest allies to work against him and eventually forced him to pull out of the race.
However, the former US senator and vice president, who spent most of his life in Washington as a legislator, especially in foreign policy, had no real answers to the global challenges that unfolded during his presidency. Pundits are divided over his response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and whether his failure to address Vladimir Putin’s genuine concerns about Kyiv’s overtures with NATO contributed to Moscow’s choice of the last resort.
Now, after almost three years, Ukraine finds itself in a military stalemate despite receiving tens of billions of dollars and euros in military aid. Trump has vowed to end this war and it appears that a deal will come at Kyiv’s expense, handing Putin a costly victory.
Biden will be blamed for failing to engage Putin in a bid to save lives and ensure a state of detente in Europe. Since then, Europe has veered away from liberal democracy, as the far right has made significant gains in several key countries, including France, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.
While the US’ hasty and embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 has been blamed on his administration, it is fair to say that it was his predecessor who took the decision to end America’s most protracted and expensive war. The victory of the Taliban left the rest of the world wondering about the limitations of America’s military power.
The Biden administration has failed to engage China and instead maintained the policies of his predecessor. Meanwhile, the US has done little to advance peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, while also failing to revive the nuclear deal with Iran.
But it is Biden’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel and Israel’s brutal response that will leave a lasting stain on his legacy. Biden’s initial support of Israel’s right to defend itself was understandable. Still, as Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government unleashed the most horrific firepower on one of the most heavily crowded population centers in the globe, the official US response to the massacre was ambiguous at first and complicit later on.
This article goes over all of Biden’s failures stating the Israel Gaza conflict being one of the worst.
