Joe Biden fails the global test

During the two most recent Republican presidencies — Trump’s and Bush’s — liberals and their media allies peddled the idea that the policies and personalities of these leaders were alienating our allies and undermining our prestige. America was failing the “global test,” to use John Kerry’s phrase.

Yet, the Bush administration was able to work effectively with allies in the global struggle against terrorism. As for Trump, when he left office the U.S. was on excellent terms with both Israel and Saudi Arabia (along with important smaller Gulf states). Trump also had good relations with Brazil, the Latin American powerhouse. And, although some Western European leaders had little use for Trump, they weren’t openly tilting towards our major adversaries.

All of this has changed under Joe Biden. He managed to alienate both Israel and Saudi Arabia. Indeed, Saudi Arabia is reconciling with Iran — a move that would have seemed unthinkable when Biden took office. The reconciliation constitutes a blow to Israel and to America, especially because Red China brokered the deal with the Biden administration on the sidelines.

The U.S. is also losing influence to Red China in Europe. Upon his return from a visit to China in which he received red-carpet treatment, French president Macron declared that Europe should not become a “vassal” of the U.S. and must avoid being drawn into any conflict between the U.S. and China over Taiwan. I don’t recall Macron talking like that when Trump was in office.

China also hosted Brazil’s president Lula, who was gushing in his praise of his counterpart, Xi Jinping. Lula declared that “Brazil’s relationship with China is extraordinary and has become more mature and stronger over time.” It certainly has become stronger since January 2021. With America in mind, Lula added that “nobody can stop Brazil from continuing to develop its relationship with China.”

With Brazil leading the way, China is making inroads elsewhere in Latin America. According to one expert in Latin American affairs quoted by the Washington Post:

In Latin America, we are seeing China acting as this alternative [to the U.S.], especially from a financing and investment perspective, and really reducing the efficacy of U.S. efforts to shift policy or political behavior in much of the region.

Biden is responsible to varying degrees for each of these three setbacks for the U.S. In the Middle East, he drove the Saudis away from the U.S. by his arrogant behavior. Less than a month after becoming president, Biden had his press secretary, Jen Psaki, state: “On Saudi Arabia I would say we’ve made clear from the beginning that we are going to recalibrate our relationship.” Asked whether Biden would be speaking with the de facto Saudi leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Psaki sniffed that Biden’s engagement would be with his “counterpart,” the Saudi king. Thus, did Biden snub the power behind the Saudi throne.

Is it any wonder that the Saudis have “recalibrated” their relationship with America?

Macron’s tilt towards China is also an understandable response to Biden. Macron sees an unserious U.S, administration responsible for the Afghanistan fiasco. He sees an unserious U.S. administration obsessed with wokeism, while seemingly oblivious to real problems like crime, illegal immigration, failing schools, etc. (He also sees an administration that has continued the Trump policy that most aggrieved France — protective tariffs — and added insult to injury with the so-called Inflation Reduction Act.)

Why, then, would Macron want to put a large percentage of French eggs in the American basket when an alternative exists?

Brazil is a special case because Lula has always been anti-U.S. and pro communist. Joe Biden is not responsible for this.

But Biden helped Lula win his election over pro-American president Jair Bolsonaro. He, along with congressional Democrats, believed, with cause, that Bolsonaro wasn’t pro-democracy. So too, Saudi Crown Prince MBS.

To compete with China, however, the U.S. must focus, as it did during the Cold War, more on geo-political realities and less on whether allies offend our sensibilities. It’s foolish, in about equal measure, to snub the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia because of his human rights record and to back a pro-Chinese far leftist for president of Brazil because his opponent behaves too much like Donald Trump.

The Red Chinese are playing for keeps. Joe Biden is virtue signaling. As a result, we are losing influence with our friends and ground to China.

In short, we are failing the global test.