By Samantha Mcphillips
As the US elections draw increasingly closer, we begin to pick apart the details of the presidential candidates competing for our vote. One key thing to consider is the foreign policy that could be put into place and in this article we will be looking directly at presidential candidate and Democrat, Joe Biden.
In terms of the US, there are four main goals which we attribute to what the government does: (1) the protection of the U.S. and its citizens, (2) the maintenance of access to key resources and markets, (3) the preservation of a balance of power in the world, and (4) the protection of human rights and democracy.
Biden is no newcomer to foreign policy as during his time in Congress, he served as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as well as point person to Obama’s foreign affairs while serving as Vice President. Congressional adviser, James Rubin, stated “He will come into office with a résumé that’s unmatched on foreign policy experience” However, like many he is not perfect and many believe that he made post war efforts with Iraq worse and was too reliant on the past when it came to having a signature foreign policy in the past while serving as Vice President.
If Biden wins in November, he will be met with a daunting, unprecedented set of challenges such as Coronavirus and the economic catastrophe caused by the pandemic, the rapid effects of climate change, a race for nuclear weapons in North Korea and Iran, a lack in trust from allies and the ongoing war against Afghanistan. With a chaotic political climate to navigate, what does Biden propose to do in order to tackle the ongoing problems?
The climate crisis - Calling climate change the “greatest threat to our security” Biden has a $2 trillion plan to reduce emissions and achieve net-zero by 2050. He plans to make the electricity sector carbon pollution free by 2035 and by 2030, have all US buses zero emissions as well as net zero emissions standards for all new commercial buildings. In the past, he has expressed his alarm of greenhouse gases and is calling for a “revolution” in order to tackle the crisis.
Coronavirus - In these unprecedented times, Biden will be faced with the ongoing pandemic as soon as (if) he is sworn in. Unlike his opposition and current President, Donald Trump, Biden is determined to focus on strengthening the country's response to the disease and to future pandemics. He wants to expand testing capacity, treatment and contact tracing while supporting the economy. He plans to Pursue decisive economic measures to help hard-hit workers, families, and small businesses and to stabilize the American economy.
US - China relationship - Since the start of 2020 we have seen an increase in tensions between the US and China due to a digital trade war, disagreement over the assertiveness of Beijing and ongoing trade wars. Tensions have also been heightened due to Coronavirus and Trump’s response to blaming China, branding the disease as the “Chinese virus” Consequently, Biden plans to challenge China further than Trump as he believes the trade war to be “abusive” in practice and hopes to tackle Beijing with the help of allies, questioning security breaches as well as human rights.
Counterterrorism and Defence - Protecting Americans from hate groups is a priority in the 2020 campaign in response to the rise of high profiled shootings and attacks in the past years on home soil and across seas. Biden proposes a strategy called “Counterterrorism plus” which emphasises fighting terrorist networks in foreign countries using small groups of U.S. special forces and aggressive air strikes. He opposes Trump’s order of barring travelers from several majority-Muslim countries, which was said to be "necessary” to limit entry of “would-be terrorists” into the country. He also wants to focus on ensuring the remnants of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State cannot reconstitute themselves.
Today, U.S. forces are at war with Afghanistan and Syria, but also in places such as Niger and Pakistan. Biden opposes the war and says that force should be used “only to defend our vital interests, when the objective is clear and achievable,” and promises to end what he calls “the forever wars” in Afghanistan and the Middle East. He plans to bring the troops home and focus on tackling conflict with a sense of humility.
Cybersecurity and Digital policy - In the digital generation there is a threat of cybercrime and the denial of right to privacy online. As the world becomes fully digital, there must be protection both in real life and online which Biden hopes to tackle by calling for a global summit in order to pressure tech companies to ensure they “are not empowering the surveillance state, facilitating repression in China and elsewhere, spreading hate, [or] spurring people to violence.” He also pledges to develop 5g technology and networks while working with allies to provide China with alternatives to a “dystopia” digital surveillance.
Immigration - Immigration has been a major political debate for decades leading to disagreement in Congress over creating a path to citizenship for the estimated eleven million undocumented residents in the United States, many of whom are from Mexico and Central America. Biden emphasises the need to address the root causes of immigration in the countries of origin, backing a path to citizenship for undocumented residents paired with stronger border enforcement. He has plans to overturn policies that separate families at the border and prolong detentions while establishing public-private networks to address humanitarian needs at the border. He wants to reverse temporary protected status (TPS)—restoring the immigration program for citizens of El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Sudan, and elsewhere and extending it to Venezuelans. Condemning family separation and overcrowded detention facilities he calls Trump’s approach “Racist” and “morally bankrupt”.
Diplomacy, Foreign Aid and the Economy - The US leads global diplomatic efforts to build alliances and institutions to promote peace and prosperity. Biden emphasises that all allies must come together to tackle fighting corruption, defending against authoritarianism and to advance human rights. He promises to recommit to alliances and re enter agreements, including restoring U.S. support for NATO, rejoining the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate accord, and strengthening alliances with Australia, Israel, Japan, and South Korea. He wants to raise corporate taxes and taxes on investments and other passive income. He would also increase middle-class benefits such as the child tax credit and focus on working families. He also promises to push for free community college, vocational training and free 4 year term public college tuition. He proposes policies to ban non compete rules, end wage secrecy, and implement a national $15 per hour minimum wage.
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