Op-Ed: Joe Biden Leads a Divided America, But He Won’t Like What We’re United On

Some politicians would rather reign in hell than serve in heaven.

When Joe Biden was vice president, then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates observed that he had been remarkably, consistently wrong about everything for going on 40 years.  During the same timeframe, Biden’s boss, President Barack Obama, noted that he possesses an extraordinary ability to mess things up. (His description of Biden’s bizarro superpower was more colorful than that.)

Keeping those two keen observations in mind, take a look at where Biden has led America and the world in the short time of his presidency.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is about to invade Ukraine. The nuclear-armed, KGB-trained mafia boss keeps blaming the unrest on his neighbor, but his ambition to rebuild the lost Soviet empire is clear.

Biden could have shown savvy and strength and kept Putin at bay as his predecessor did for four years, but what did Biden do?

First, he gave up Afghanistan to terrorists, getting Americans killed and leaving them stranded because he abandoned the only viable base of operations near Kabul. Then he decided not to fire anyone who had a hand in the debacle.

Then, in one of his few news conferences, he more or less greenlit Putin to invade Ukraine with his “minor incursion” remark. That quip is causing major problems, and a nervous Europe from the Balkans to Britain is wondering not if Putin will invade Ukraine, but if he’ll stop there.

Spoiler: He’s sitting across the table from Joe Biden. Putin must surely like his odds.

In ordinary times, the prospect of military action can unite and galvanize us. But most Americans now believe we have little interest in who owns what in Eastern Europe, and we have much more pressing concerns closer to home.

Thanks to Biden’s irresponsible spending sprees and the trillions more he keeps threatening to spend, the dollars we work so hard for are losing value fast. Biden compounded that problem by kicking American energy producers in the teeth, increasing dependence on foreign oil and putting money in Putin’s pockets.

Yes, that would be the same Putin who is waving guns at his NATO and non-NATO neighbors. Biden’s decisions are making Putin more of a threat. And Biden shows no sign that he’s aware or even cares.