Beacon of hope

The finest thing about America is neither its wealth nor its weaponry, but its resolve for liberty.

When Joe Biden takes Presidential oath on January 20, the people of America will embrace a new phase of political life. And with that will end the tumultuous tenure of the Trump administration.

Biden stands as a beacon of hope. This is the time to heal in America, he said in his victory speech, aiming at moving forward in restoring harmony and boosting the economy while focusing on fighting the pandemic.

Four years ago, Donald Trump promulgated “Make America Great Again”, that is now the past. Joe Biden will have to “Make America Normal Again”. Indeed, that may be the correct path to greatness.  But the task ahead is a challenging one for Biden.

The new administration is bound to encounter obstacles in pushing some of its policies on both the domestic and international front. Under the new president, the next four years will determine whether the US re-establishes itself as the world’s premier power or continues to decline.

If the Unites States desires in holding onto its superpowers status then it will need to reframe its foreign policy. The US has failed to demonstrate equilibrium of fairness and justice while tackling international issues like war on terrorism, global warming, hate crimes, humanitarian crisis, refugees and nuclear disarmament.

Often it seems like America has drifted from the fundamentals of its democratic, egalitarian and liberal tradition, on which the nation was built. Now it needs to be seen what steps the Biden-Harris administration will take to improve its reputation.

Modern political norms are different. And so Biden will have to find an answer to the bitter polarisation prevalent in the divided world community. The world will be looking with intense curiosity as to how the veteran political stalwart will fulfill his commitment to upholding such values.

Hanif A. Patel
Gujarat, India