What does a BIDEN Presidency look like?

[Caliga]

Hopefully the QAnon people don't see that post.

[Sheilbh]

I think there isn't an equivalence between Trump's trashing of US institutions or international involvements and most of Biden's new executive orders, it's not a ping-pong situation where those are two opposing sides either side of a balanced middle.

I'm not saying there's a balanced middle but because these things are done by executive orders they're easy "wins" for both sides to overturn their opponent's achievements. So it seems likely to me that the next Republican administration will pull out of the Paris Agreement, I wouldn't be surprised if they pissed about with DACA again.

Trump was an extremist, exiting WHO, something the US had a major hand in setting up and funding was a hollow domestic political act, no other US administration had ever planned on leaving it.

I swear multiple Republicans have over the years said that the US should leave the UN? I'm not convinced Trump's foreign policy stuff (which was less damaging than I expected) is actually that far from other Republicans. I'm not convinced that Trump is actually an extremist compared to the GOP - that's the bigger issue and they will win the White House again.

[crazy canuck]

Wow. That is pretty close.
Wonder if she did it on purpose?

If you are interested, there is a great article in the NYTimes about the fashion choices and the reasons they were made. 

[The Minsky Moment]

I swear multiple Republicans have over the years said that the US should leave the UN? I'm not convinced Trump's foreign policy stuff (which was less damaging than I expected) is actually that far from other Republicans. I'm not convinced that Trump is actually an extremist compared to the GOP - that's the bigger issue and they will win the White House again.

There is a long history of anti-UN sentiment in the modern Republican Party, and there was precedent in Reagan's withdrawal from UNESCO, which Trump also withdrew from.  That's not the same thing as withdrawing from WHO however, which is a much bigger deal and more obviously counterproductive.

Trump's views and policies on trade and immigration were definitely outside the GOP mainstream, although not *too* far outside - it is basically the old Buchanan program which did attract a non-insignificant number of the GOP voters.  It was surprising how quickly the mainstream party rolled over on these issues and how the policy debates play out on those issues may be the key to understanding how the post 2020 GOP will evolve.  The immediate attacks Biden is getting now from usual media suspects seem to focus heavily on immigration - it will be interesting to see if that remains the main focus or attack.  A GOP that realigns permanently as a hardline anti-immigration party would mark a significant break from postwar party - essentially a belated victory of the deviant Buchanan/Pete Wilson wing over the long dominant Reagan-Bush-McCain wing.

[Valmy]

I just hope Biden notices how aggressively deporting people on an unprecedented scale did little to counter the charge that Obama was pro-open borders. What you actually do as President doesn't really matter, it is always about what you represent.

[Valmy]

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN29O2PE

Biden will recognize Guaido as Venezuela's leader, top diplomat says

By Reuters Staff

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's administration will continue to recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the South American country's president, Anthony Blinken, Biden's nominee for secretary of state, said on Tuesday.

Blinken told members of the U.S. Senate that Biden would seek to "more effectively target" sanctions on the country, which aim to oust President Nicolas Maduro - who retains control of the country. Blinken said the new administration would look at more humanitarian assistance to the country.

Fuck. Can we stop this? I mean I get that Maduro sucks but he just sucks for Venezuela. He poses no threat to us and there are plenty of other terrible regimes out there. Why are we still doing these regime change conflicts? I am so frustrated about this.

[Sheilbh]

I just hope Biden notices how aggressively deporting people on an unprecedented scale did little to counter the charge that Obama was pro-open borders. What you actually do as President doesn't really matter, it is always about what you represent.

But also what you present, no? Did Obama want to give the impression that he was aggressively deporting people?

[Barrister]

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN29O2PE

Biden will recognize Guaido as Venezuela's leader, top diplomat says

By Reuters Staff

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's administration will continue to recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the South American country's president, Anthony Blinken, Biden's nominee for secretary of state, said on Tuesday.

Blinken told members of the U.S. Senate that Biden would seek to "more effectively target" sanctions on the country, which aim to oust President Nicolas Maduro - who retains control of the country. Blinken said the new administration would look at more humanitarian assistance to the country.

Fuck. Can we stop this? I mean I get that Maduro sucks but he just sucks for Venezuela. He poses no threat to us and there are plenty of other terrible regimes out there. Why are we still doing these regime change conflicts? I am so frustrated about this.

But this one makes (or at least made) sense.

Back in 2019 there was a real groundswell in Venezuela against the Maduro regime.  The recently held Presidential elections were largely seen as illegitimate, so Guaido stepped up and said under the Constitution he was then interim President until free and fair elections could be held.  There was thought that the protests on the streets, combined with international pressure (by governments recognizing Guaido as President) could spur a change.

Over 50 governments recognize Guaido as President.

Of course in the end... it didn't work.  BUt the Maduro government has done nothing since then to warrant the reward of US recognition.  It's not like there was meaningful diplomacy going on between the two governments in any event.

[DGuller]

Being recognized as the leader of a country that you are obviously the leader of shouldn't be viewed as a "reward".  That said, what is happening in Venezuela is a humanitarian catastrophe, and I'm not sure that having a failed state in that area is in our interest.

[Barrister]

Being recognized as the leader of a country that you are obviously the leader of shouldn't be viewed as a "reward".  That said, what is happening in Venezuela is a humanitarian catastrophe, and I'm not sure that having a failed state in that area is in our interest.

There's all kinds of these situations though.  US never recognized the USSR's annexation of the Baltics, for example.  US right now does not recognize Taiwan (though the two do have a deep relationship).

[DGuller]

In any case, regardless of who we recognize, I think Venezuela is a textbook case of an intervention for humanitarian reasons being warranted.  The country is being turned into a wasteland by an extremely unpopular leader who by now must be holding on to power by authoritarian means, with the aid of the Axis of Authoritarians.

[The Minsky Moment]

Venezuela used to be a functioning state; it's not a basket case like Syria. I don't think it's a great idea for the US to just neglect a failed state in the region - eventually those problems will becomes US problems one way or another.

[Habbaku]

Venezuela used to be a functioning state; it's not a basket case like Syria. I don't think it's a great idea for the US to just neglect a failed state in the region - eventually those problems will becomes US problems one way or another.

They already are US problems. Look how many Venezuelans in the US voted for Trump. 

[DGuller]

Venezuela used to be a functioning state; it's not a basket case like Syria. I don't think it's a great idea for the US to just neglect a failed state in the region - eventually those problems will becomes US problems one way or another.

BTW, is Monroe Doctrine still in use, officially?  Or has it been discarded?  China's and Russia's involvement in Venezuela seems to be something that the Monroe Doctrine meant to head off.

[Eddie Teach]

They've been in Cuba since the 50s.