Without a doubt, America’s global image has diminished in recent years. We once were preeminent as an international leader, but those days are no more. While the presidency of Donald Trump brought U.S. prestige to a low point, there are things we can do to restore our global leadership.
Americans often disagree, sometimes forcefully, about what our role in the world should be. From my perspective there is a lot more consensus on the topic than initially meets the eye.
Making effective public policy takes more than good ideas and familiarity with the issues. It is not easy, especially when many people have lost trust in government and in each other, but it can be done with attention to time-honored characteristics of good governance.
With a new administration taking office, it is tempting to put the disturbing events of Jan. 6 behind us. But we should not dismiss – or fail to learn from – what happened when the president of the United States incited his followers to storm the Capitol and try to overturn a lawfully decided election.
President-elect Joe Biden will take office vowing to bridge partisan differences and unite Americans. It will not be easy. Biden will have to work with a Congress that is deeply divided, reflecting divisions among the American people that have grown stronger and more intense.
Pundits have been commenting on the Decline of the West since the German philosopher Oswald Spengler published a book by that title in 1918. The Western world may not be as dominant as it once was, but its decline has been exaggerated.
The United States and Europe led the world in pursuit of freedom and democracy in the post-World War II period. Relying on shared values, including a commitment to democratic governance and human rights, we shaped an international order that improved life for people around the world.
The COVID-19 pandemic has produced staggering levels of suffering and loss. It has caused nearly 250,000 deaths in the United States while devastating the national economy. In addition, our failure to respond effectively has damaged America’s standing in the world.
Having won the election for U.S. President, Joe Biden now has an opportunity to take stock of America, to assess where we have been and where we are going. With voting now behind us, I see several trends that will challenge President Elect Biden and his team.
Where is the hope for the Middle East? No matter how hard we try, it is hard to find grounds for optimism about the future of this troubled region.
