Friday, February 5, 2021

The New Yorker

The World Likes Biden But Doubts the U.S. Can Reclaim Global Leadership

 Joe Biden’s “first love,” the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, mused this week, “is foreign policy.” His lifelong interest showed on Thursday when the President, just two weeks in office, addressed the world from the State Department, on his first foray to a federal agency. President Trump only ventured the five blocks to the State Department once, in 2018, sixteen months after taking office, and only for the ceremonial swearing-in of Mike Pompeo, his second Secretary of State. Biden’s speech marked the beginning of his long schlep to repair America’s place in the world after Trump. “America is back,” Biden vowed. “We are a country that does big things. American diplomacy makes it happen. And our Administration is ready to take up the mantle and lead once again.”

But noble goals and principled intentions alone won’t solve the problem of America’s depleted international standing. The world likes Joe Biden but doubts whether America can reclaim its global leadership role. Read on....