Joe Biden is the 15th president in my 79 years. I’ve followed the foreign policy of all but FDR. Only missed his presidential exploits because I was just 33 days old when he died.
But took an interest in the second, Harry Truman, when mom and pop explained WWII and the current Korean War to me in 1951. Still remember the brouhaha when Truman fired Gen. Douglas McArthur during the latter. Why would the president fire such a revered war hero? Must be a bad president, I thought. Years later I found out how right he was to do so. McArthur was hell bent on nuking China for entering the war against the US.
But Truman should never have blundered into Korea in the first place. He launched an unnecessary and undeclared war there that killed millions of Koreans for no valid reason and no permanent resolution 73 years on. War with North Korea is still possible today. Even worse, Truman’s ditching Congress’ Constitutional duty to declare war inaugurated dozens of interventions, large and small that have killed millions since 1950. It gave every succeeding president a blank check to pursue US world dominance without congressional approval.
None of the succeeding 13 presidents I’ve experienced had a decent, peace oriented foreign policy. Eisenhower bashed the Military Industrial Complex pushing perpetual war when he left office after 8 years. But he helped create it and inaugurated regime change near (Cuba, Guatemala) and far (Iran) which became the "go to" US policy for foreign leaders presidents hate.
JFK snuck into office in 1960 using the phony "missile gap" canard. He invaded Cuba using Cuban proxy soldiers. It was a colossal failure. His obsession with overthrowing Cuba’s Castro was both criminal and nearly blew up the world by creating the totally avoidable Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
It continued through 10 more presidents till Joe Biden assumed office 59 years later. His foreign policy has been wrong turn after wrong turn. He even managed to tarnish his signature peace accomplishment of ending our 20 yearlong Afghan war. Humiliated by being tossed from Afghanistan by the rag tag Taliban, Biden continued to cruelly punish the Afghan people by withholding billions in Afghan treasure stolen from them during the war. He’s also maintained crippling sanctions leading to starvation and diminished health for millions.
Biden reneged on his promise to end America’s seven decade isolation of Cuba; extending the US embargo into its 62nd year. He further reneged on reinstating the Iran nuclear deal, the signature Obama peace accomplishment Biden championed as his VP. He not only maintained America’s support of Saudi Arabia’s ghoulish war in Yemen that has killed nearly 400,000, he’s interfering with the ongoing Saudi, Houthi Yemen peace process that could end the 8 yearlong Yemen killing field. He keeps 900 soldiers guarding Syria’s oil fields we stole from Syria during the Syrian civil war. He keeps punishing sanctions on the beleaguered Syrian people in hopes of toppling hated Syrian President Assad.
While suffering "Stop The Steal" from his predecessor, Biden maintained his own "Stop The Steal" in Venezuela. He continued America’s delusional attempt to overturn the 2018 election of hated socialist Nicholas Maduro by installing US backed puppet Juan Guido. The Venezuelan people had enough, booting Guaido back to America which spent years promoting his takeover from Maduro.
Biden refuses to end America’s merciless War Of Terror against any person or group we deem "kill worthy" in the Middle East and Africa. Just ask the 10 kids of innocent sheepherder Loutfi Hassan Mesto whom Biden’s bombers blew to bits in Syria, May 18. The US response was sickening… "We still think we whacked an al-Qaeda dude."
As horrendous as these policies are, they’re small potatoes compared to Biden’s ratcheting up Cold War II with both Russia and China. He has maneuvered them into their closest political and economic ties in generations. Biden is fueling and perpetuating the Russo Ukraine war with nearly $40 billion in weapons. He’s sabotaged every sensible plan brokered by Turkey, China and Israel that could have ended the war early on. He’s greenlighting increasingly more dangerous weapons including F-16’s, depleted uranium artillery, long range missiles that have already zoomed over Russia’s red lines. Just one mistake, miscalculation or renegade combatant could ignite WWIII. Biden has painted himself and America into a corner with no exit; one even Biden indicates could last years.
At the other end of the world, Biden has completely jettisoned the half century One China policy over America’s ironclad defense declaration for Taiwan, whose history with China goes back thousands of years. One would think Biden would have more sense than possibly provoking all-out war against its two biggest imagined enemies simultaneously. Alas, he doesn’t.
Like me, Biden was a teen during the ’62 Missile Crisis, the closest we’ve come to nuclear war in our lifetime. It still haunts this 17 year old back then to this day; one reason I work in the peace movement. Apparently, it made no dent on 19 year old Joe Biden. He’s spent most of his half century in public service championing American exceptionalism and US world dominance, regardless of the risks of it descending into the madness of nuclear war.
Joe Biden has abrogated his primary responsibility of keeping America, indeed the whole world safe. With profound sadness and fear for our future, Joe Biden gets my nod as conducting the most dangerous US foreign policy in my lifetime.
Walt Zlotow became involved in antiwar activities upon entering University of Chicago in 1963. He is current president of the West Suburban Peace Coalition based in the Chicago western suburbs. He blogs daily on antiwar and other issues at www.heartlandprogressive.blogspot.com.
Just add some more insult to bankruptcy!
May 27, 2023 How the U.S. “LOST” billions of dollars in Ukraine
The united states just “found” an additional $3 billion to send to Ukraine. They say that it was an accounting error that happened when they “overestimated the value” of aid being sent to Ukraine.
https://youtu.be/y6cnWNEiYF8
They reconfigured the books to show the goods at cost when purchased instead of replacement cost (current value) then depreciated that number as if it was going to become salvage value once depreciation was over.
A complete farce.
Soon they’ll claim everything is salvage value then they’ll claim disposal costs of that salvage needs to figured in so Urkraine is actually saving us money instead of costing us billions (not that bad but this cooking of the books is ridiculous)
Biden must think the Tooth Fairy left $3 billion under his pillow to give Zelensky. Before Biden became POTUS, I knew he was no peacemaker but did not think he’d move us closer to WWIII.
Previous POTUS only waged wars with countries that could not fight back & had no WMD’s.
I believe you are going way back to Bush friend. Here are the facts.
U.S. presidents and wars.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1fde64d7fc246fcabae169d442bf61be487602e0a164d50db8b23c5c5314bee5.jpg
I tried to avoid idolatry (no one is to be worshipped, out on pedestal because of position) while keeping in mind that while no one is better than me, trying to keep in mind it works both ways and I’m no better than others.
My “respect” level is kind of absent one might say in some regards.
So when I find out my so-called leader is just another lying warrior it does not bother me that much.
Did anyone honestly expect Biden wasn’t going to have the foreign policy he has?
He wasn’t going to enact peace on the world like the Democrats claim they will.
As you asked. No. In 2020, I don’t think there is a soul alive who thought that Biden’s foreign policy would be so militant.
The Orange guy did but we are told he’s too evil to listen to.
The Orange Guy is still belly-aching that Biden’s foreign policy isn’t militant enough, when he’s not bragging about all the weapons he sent to Ukraine when he was in office.
He’s a salesman that some hate but he really “dislikes” the state department and the security state who in a few eyes conducted a soft coup on the guy.
He definately would not do a complete reversal if regaining office of “stuff” but he won’t follow the path of those who efed with him.
He will talk to Putin for instance.
He keeps asking “why” over NATO is another.
But then you can say that about DeSantos too but not nearly as much.
Honestly we have 3 possibles this year with DeSantis more of the top VP candidate.
Biden is a war president and the other guy sees it winding down by the time he gets in and shares he’ll push it there if it isn’t.
There isn’t much of a option unless one wants the war to continue or the mindset to continue to other areas as it would with Joe (or a replacement if he can’t continue)
I doubt DeSantis would be Trump’s VP candidate. That wouldn’t make sense for either of them. Trump would pick a GOP loyalist who hadn’t openly crossed him personally, and DeSantis would want to keep his powder dry for 2028.
I’d personally rather have Trump or Biden than DeSantis or Harris. But that’s kind of like saying I’d rather die in a roller coaster wreck than of colon cancer.
I see whoever is VP having a 4 year campaign to be President not the traditional role of a useless VP akin to Quayle, Harris, etc.
Plus, I’m in Iowa where we are being inundated with campaign ads.
Trump’s against DeSantis have a theme of not being ready, not one the “he’s not one of us” type.
That tells me there’s a window for a VP in him or at least he’s being considered.
But there’s my Govenor being mention too.
Her voice is grating (nasal) but that’s just me.
Noem (or however the SD gov spells her name) is another being floated here too.
Interesting — yes, the tone of the early Iowa campaigns will often reveal more than the national tone, especially as filtered through the social media scream queen process.
Naturally, there HAS to be consideration of the Iowa’s governor in the campaign of any non-incumbent of the same party. I wouldn’t put much stock in that.
I suspect Noem would be Sarah Palin 2.0 on both the political and personal sides.
It’s gawd awful here.
I got roped into a phony media poll that was really the DeSantis campaign doing research of campaign themes.
They want to focus on his years at Yale, his JAG service in a Bush war, and his school stuff.
I shared Yale will only work perhaps in Iowa City and a couple large cities but it’s a tuen off as well as a failed war. His school stuff honestly came after ours ( remember Reynolds is a VP possibility) but he got the attention.
You really get crazy here; I used to hang out with Ross Perot’s first campaign manager and then at one early morning party, he shared he was quitting the position because it was getting too hard; actually crazy Ross had just announced all his state campaign managers would get “looked at” with PI’s and he nor his brothers could pass full background checks nor most of anyone employed by them. Too many sketchy business practices among other things.
Trump hates all the other candidates challenging him in the primary. I remember him saying he’ll pick a woman for his VP. I know it won’t be Nikki Haley, she is one of the challengers in the primary although she was his ambassador to the UN. He could be thinking of Kari Lake, Lauren Boebert, MTG or someone else.
He always could do it better just like any politician will claim.
I’m sure he claims that along his other claim the war would have never started.
I only care about his statement about ending it and his continuing questions about the policy to not to try to get along with Russia
But then after the revelations of late we can see why the Democrats are so invested in hating Russia.
It was part of how they went after Trump and the GOP.
The managorial state invisions a return to order and trains running on time.
No one, including Trump, will stop them …..
“But maybe our country would be better off if I actually had the nuclear codes because our enemies would be afraid, unlike they are now.”
Or maybe he’s just fucking nuts.
I’d be more afraid of a dementia patient having them myself.
I wonder if today’s news that Jimmy’s wife has dementia is a way for the Left to broach Joe’s issues?
I’d don’t know if I’m more afraid but I am at least equally afraid. I’m waiting for a split ticket of Grassley/Feinstein or Feinstein/Grassley.
Grassley is my Senator. He may be as old as dirt but he does not have a whiff of dementia unlike Joe.
Hollyweird (James Vanderbeek) is hitting the DNC over Joe’s dementia via social media. So perhaps Harris may be making her move with some help from her friends?
He even went there over Joe’s inabilty to give Q&As without the questions provided before hand.
I absolutely disagree with her politics but her inability to speek coherently is a unfair wayto go after her even though it is funny as heck when it happens.
As Tyrus has pointed out on Gutfeld!; all you need are bongos; she sounds much better and sounds like she’s doing a poetry slam instead of babbling incoherently.
Want to be really afraid? Think about Biden dying or being incapacitated in office and Kamala Harris taking over. We’ll probably be dead from nuclear war within a week.
Want to be really afraid? Think about Biden dying or being incapacitated in office and Kamala Harris taking over. We’ll probably be dead from nuclear war within a week.
He just doesn’t care about anything but his money and his ego. I suspect he doesn’t want to lose either in a nuclear war, but because he’s not really a politician and doesn’t care about political issues if they don’t affect his money or ego, he can’t be counted on to do or not do anything. He tried to make peace with North Korea and to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan and Syria, but once he got pushback from the military/intelligence/industrial complex, he backed down because he just really doesn’t care.
Smack the head! Bye-Done, Bye-Done, Bye-Done…
That Truman became president is the problem. Henry Wallace should have been the vice president when FDR died, but the Democratic Party establishment wouldn’t allow that because he was too progressive. I have no doubt that had he become president instead of Truman, the U.S. would not have dropped atomic bombs on Japan nor entered the Korean war.
I don’t think that Walt Zlotow has seen any of the more recent research on JFK’s foreign policies. JFK was trying to eliminate or at least largely rein in the CIA, refused to provide air support for the Bay of Pigs invasion, and was beginning to try to get the U.S. out of Vietnam. We shouldn’t understate or ignore the horrible militaristic and colonialist things that U.S. presidents do, but we should also acknowledge when they change positions and try to do the right things.
I fully agree that every U.S. president has done horrible things with use of the U.S. military, and that Biden’s ratcheting up the cold war with Russia and starting one with China are more horrible things that could lead to nuclear war. However, Zlotow has apparently forgotten that we were constantly living in terror of nuclear war because of Reagan’s belligerence toward the Soviet Union — remember the TV movie The Day After and how scared it made all of us? The point is that all this is s function of U.S. being an empire, not of individual presidents. We’re now witnessing the end period of U.S. empire — yay!!! — and empires tend to overreach when they see their empire shrinking or coming to an end.
In the big picture this is a good thing (end of U.S. empire, as long as it doesn’t get replaced with just another evil empire), but there will definitely be much death & destruction along the way.
Strongly agree. Truman was the problem. My top 3 criticisms of Truman: 1. He never showed remorse for murdering thousands of innocent civilians at Hiroshima/Nagasaki. 2. He championed the notion that the US should police the world and bent the Constitution to do it. 3. He was incredibly ignorant. I think FDR wanted a VP that nobody would take seriously.
It wasn’t FDR that chose Truman over Wallace, it was the party establishment. I don’t remember, but I think that FDR wanted Wallace.
Few people know that sending American troops was foolish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8DjwfLH6RY
Some people know about MacArthur’s demand to expand the war to all of China and using nukes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzF8G429eN0
Walt, Well said and very powerful.
I first voted for Jimmy Carter for president in the 1970s. I also believe Joe Biden is probably the worst president of my lifetime. I did not vote for him (I voted Green as a protest). No other president has so brazenly threatened us with a nuclear war, and no other president has had such a horrendous foreign policy across the globe. Joe Biden was always the worst Democrat in congress for most of my lifetime, and he has thoroughly outdone himself as president. Biden has got to go or things are going to get even worse.