What has been an insult to Donald Trump, to Joe Biden, is recognition: the new president of the United States is the establishment in its purest form. A similar case of someone who came to the presidency with better preparation is not recalled. He spent nearly half a century “inside the ring road”.
It is the territory of the District of Columbia, which houses the American capital and wants to become a state, delimited by a ring road. Biden would be easily accepted as a traffic cop in Washington, without passing any exams.
But when he takes possession of his office in the Oval Office, as soon as he opens the greasy files left by the former tenant, he will be horrified. The agenda that awaits him is a challenge, to the innate ritualism of the Perpetual Senator from Delaware. However, the task will not scare you.
He has a paradoxical advantage over his predecessor: Biden is a good loser. A similar case of someone who decided to bet on the presidential race after being rejected in previous attempts, in the cruel campaign to seek the nomination of his party, is not recalled.
On the domestic policy agenda, Biden will have to try to clarify the current state of America’s identity, a complex and enduring question. Never since Huntington’s suicidal attempt to apply his thesis on the confrontation of civilizations at the heart of American identity has a wound similar to that left by Trump been caused to the soul of the United States.
Biden will have to correct the doubt that in order to be a citizen of the United States you just need to want to be one. Trump has seriously questioned this proposal. To prove it, one need only inspect the data of the vast majority of congressional attackers. The print would also be replicated when looking for an overall picture of an uncomfortable majority of Trump’s more than 70 million voters.
The United States, which is an idea, not a country, much less a “country”, will have to be resurrected by Biden. Trump acted like some kind of evil prince who kissed the sleeping witch. Biden will bring you back to eternal sleep. She will choose to save the beautiful princess who spent four years in silence from the kidnapping.
While witnessing the rest of the impeachment process, Biden must ensure homeland security with a balanced message of toughness in the face of any violation of the law. To leave a punitive example of insurgency unpunished would be a fatal error.
To address once and for all the nature of the social fabric, Biden will do well to complete his plan to make it easier to obtain legal residency and citizenship for the millions of people who are already in the country and living in limbo. Another issue is how to deal with those who again choose to resort to desperate border crossings.
As for the outlook for the 2022 election, Biden will need to lead his strong electorate if the outcome in the House of Representatives and Senate is to consolidate and develop. This will depend on the perception of the new measures taken to avoid losing the acquired benefits.
Abroad, in the context of the accelerated return of multilateralism, Biden will need to speed up the recovery of State Department officials in liaison and urgently replace politically appointed ambassadors by professionals. Europe should be given urgent priority in this regard.
The face of the United States abroad must send a clear message to Putin that the court with Trump is over and that, for Washington, cooperation with the European Union and the steadfastness of the Treaty Organization. North Atlantic (NATO) are above. all personal wishes. Biden will also have to end the ambiguity over the relationship with the troubled duo of medieval Arab monarchies and the conveniences of the current Israeli government.
In Latin America, Biden will proceed with caution. If a new wave of “pink” regimes is confirmed, caused by voter dissatisfaction with government disasters, crime and corruption, Biden will do well to treat countries on a case-by-case basis. The possibility of him toughening up the game with Venezuela is not excluded, but comes down to Obama’s policy towards Cuba. The hardening of attitude towards Havana in general strengthens the hard line of the Cuban government. The result is that Cuban citizens who suffer the most remain the hardest hit.
And if Biden fails in certain chapters of his busy schedule, as a “good loser,” he will take note and apply himself to correcting the flaws before he ends his presidency and – why not? – to be re-elected, or at least to pass the mandate. witness to Kamala Harris.
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Translation by Paulo Migliacci