The Spire

Sean Rego ’26

Opinions Editor

As of writing, Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to have met President Biden this week to discuss the ever-worsening Sino-American relationship. Despite it being quite an important visit on American soil, it is questionable how much this summit will actually improve America’s bizarre positioning on the world stage. In the last three years, I think it is fair to say that America’s global standing has been weakened, not strengthened as was promised. I remember the speech, in which the words “America is back” were used with so much hope. Yet when alluding to President Biden’s diplomatic goals, I sense nothing but failure and hesitance. 

It is not to say that the current administration has not had moments of good initiatives though. Take the AUKUS agreements, which strengthen Indo-Pacific ties with our closest allies, or perhaps the due response to the gruesome acts of Hamas terrorists in the Levant; on both of those issues, the Administration took the right steps. 

But over all, is our position better than it was four years ago? Can we say with confidence that we’ve strengthened our position, our allies and the goal for a stable globe? I think not. There simply has just been… gaffes that are unexplainable and inexcusable. 

Take Afghanistan for example. Do you remember the pictures of America fleeing the scene; of the strategic idiocy we allowed? How about Taiwan, where Biden misspoke multiple times on the issue of independence and defense. Most importantly, I need not remind the viewer of Biden’s decision to ease sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which further heightens European reliance on Russian fuel. 

Of course, it is not fair to put the main blame on the administration for the Invasion of Ukraine, but to say that Biden’s appeasement policies did not contribute to the war would be imprudent. And now, with no end in sight, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and Russians are sent off to be mauled. While support for Ukraine may well be helpful, it will never make up for the slow spiral of death in the slavic world, for which I find it impossible to excuse President Biden. 

Then there is the Middle East, which to be fair has never been easy, but by God things certainly have not gotten better in the last couple of years. First there’s Saudi Arabia. Are we friends or not? Biden seems not to know because he’s made a complete policy switch in regards to using their oil. 

Then there’s Iran, which is well on its way to nuclear armament with no clear solution to stop them. Obama’s Iran Nuclear Deal was a minimal pressure pathway that strived to lessen Iran’s goals and Trump’s subsequent pullout was maximal pressure that hoped to crush any chance of nuclear weapons. Say what you will, but Trump’s policies at least crippled Iranian capabilities. Meanwhile, Biden’s plan was to reason with the theocratic fundamentalists in Tehran. And while I am all for resolutions, we must realize that one cannot negotiate with the aforementioned fundamentalist. Look towards Iran’s Hamas henchmen if you doubt me. The fact is we’re heading towards a nuclear Iran, with nothing but confusion from the White House. 

And that leads me to the current hot topic, Israel-Palestine. I appreciated the quick condemnation of the actions of Hamas, but it is strange to see the Biden Administration walking an unnecessary tight-rope of appeasement between the majority of Ameicans and the unrest of the radicals who refuse to stand against the action of terrorists. It is even stranger that some people are saying that Biden’s dip in the polls against Trump is due to his pro-Israeli stance. That’s just silly. Biden would lose legitimacy if he switched loyalties, and would frankly lose respect of Western nations. It would be prudent for him to crush this dissent in his ranks, if he’s even capable of doing that.

What about Latin America or perhaps Africa? Not much good I must say. The border is in continual crisis, with Biden’s plans to solve it gone completely out the window and politicians on both sides throwing blame. In Africa too, we see coup d’etat after coup d’etat, and a growing presence of Russia and China on the continent. For both of these large reasons, I specifically remember VP Harris’s failed charm offensives.  

Overall, I’m just not seeing anything great being done that is truly thanks to our current administration. Even most of the successes we’ve had aren’t really Biden-specific, more just de facto actions of any administration. Again, whatever you may think of the Trump years of diplomacy (for they were quite the spectacle), at least the former president can say he got his own set of goals through. Things like moving the embassy to Jerusalem, the monumental Abraham Accords, condemning the Chinese on trade and humanitarian issues, suppressing Iran, meeting with North Korea, calling out our European allies and creating the Space Force. These actions were blunt, yes, but they also destroyed any sense of hesitancy our enemies may have had of us. I simply cannot say that Biden is doing the same.

Hesitancy breeds indecision and indecision breeds weakness. That is why Russia invaded Ukraine, why Hamas attacked Israel and why China is messing around with Taiwan. We can respond to all those conflicts with differing levels of force, as we have and will, but eventually even our mighty military will grow fatigued if the worst comes. 

All of this is to say that the best way to avoid conflict is through strength and bravado. Pleading and compromising simply won’t do the trick right now, as we’ve learned with Biden. It’s not to say that we must go without good virtues in diplomacy, merely that we must remind the world of our prowess. And again, although I may know little in the grand scheme of diplomacy, I must ask: is our nation safer today than it was four years ago? Has Biden delivered on his promises of bringing America back on the world stage?

Ultimately, if he would like to end his time in office on a good note, I highly recommend that Joe Biden reads the quote from Theodore Roosevelt about speaking softly and carrying a big stick.