Aug 24, 2023
The Biden Administration came into office ill-prepared for the world we live in today. It didn’t grasp the malignant mentality and ambitions of the leaders of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. This segment of What’s Ahead warns that, while reality is slowly creeping in, the White House is still unable to fully chuck its fairy-tale mindset and make the needed changes, that is, an exponential expansion of military resources.
Biden won’t give Ukraine the necessary weapons it needs to win against Russia. He won’t define what our strategic objectives are. President Biden has yet to speak to the American people about what we’re doing there and why it’s important.This episode also exposes two dangerous myths about the war in Ukraine.Follow me on Twitter. Send me a secure tip. Steve Forbes
A concise commentary from Steve Forbes, who is always spot on with his political views.
Biden has indeed been lethally lethargic. His hesitance to sending what’s needed for Ukraine’s fight is costing valuable Ukrainian lives. Lives, for Christ’s sake, not money.
And, it’s a grave mistake to never address the American people to inform them just why a Ukrainian victory is so important, not only for them, but for Europe AND for us. But, how can he explain anything, seeing that he is himself completely confused about what should be done and why. You’d figure that 17 months would’ve been long enough to develop a viable strategy, but still there is absolutely nothing.
What will this too old president do if bat virus land should decide to invade Taiwan?
Steve Forbes is always presidential.
He might be the closest today to Ron Reagan stylistically and strategically.
Why can’t someone like Steve Forbes be in the White House instead of Sad Sack???
“Lives, for Christ’s sake, not money.”
Indeed, ofp, that’s so tragically true! And, adding insult to injury, the monetary side has been vadtly exaggerated. The Pentagon is putting mostly made up prices on used or outdated equippement, that the US would never have sold to anyone anyway. Instead of being left to rot and, in the case of ammunition, even triggering considerable costs for safe disposal, these stored items are being put to good use now, saving lifes. Sadly, Team Biden, like other Nato governments, too, thinks it’s a good idea to brag about the allegedly high value of weapon deliveries, despite the actual impact on the budget being much lower.
This has the very negative side effect of many voters misunderstanding this for a high share of their taxes vanishing in the war. That’s not true and this perception ain’t helping Biden’s chances for reelection at all. He should instead have argued that the US won’t use these arms anymore anyway, because of more modern types being deployed, and that sending surplus to Ukraine is a cost effective act of charity. And also, like you rightly stated, he should have made the case “why a Ukrainian victory is so important”. Doing nothing, or not enough for victory, would become way more expensive for the US in the long run, and the voters need to hear that from their President!
Speaking of “cost-effective”, Biden could use this as a counterargument in helping Ukraine. First, we are merely supplying Ukraine with mostly second-hand equipment. Second, Ukraine is eliminating one of our most dangerous – if not THE most dangerous – enemies, with zero American lives involved.
Biden has a serious lack in ability to communicate with the people.
If he would have rigged the elections to give Ukraine all she needs, which i think he did, i would have approved. But Putler did smell the plot and geared up. Then Biden started soiling his pants, giving Putler the biggest green light in history. One can only hope that Nikki will take Iowa and New Hampshire next year, showing all the assholes in both parties a big middlefinger!
It’s either her, Pence or Christie. All the rest can die in a train wreck.
Sadly after the debate I don’t see pence or Christie. IMO looks like Nikki is my fav choice.
Oh, please, Mike, no conspiracy theories about the allegedly rigged 2020 election here! There’s no evidence ofcthis at all, but lots of facts proving that Trump lost by several MILLION votes, and even in important swing states. One major reason for this is that his extremism even alienated a small but decisive percentage of Republican voters. That’s how “lesser evil” Biden came to power.
Really, as a supporter of Ukraine, you should be aware that Trump would engage in appeasement to Putin, and in a “great deal” would force Ukraine into giving away territories for a very questionable “peace”, like with the Minsk “agreements”. Nothing good can come out of this.
A) I have the right to think for myself and need no wannabe censor to correct me and talk about ‘conspiracy theories’. We both know jackshit about the elections since none of us did personally monitor them. What Biden is doing with Trump reminds of what Lula is doing with Bolsonaro. It’s called revenge.
B) I did not endorse Trump, i endorsed Nikki Haley. Learn to read and don’t give me a response that has nothing to do with what i said.
Thank you, Gray.
“We both know jackshit about the elections since none of us did personally monitor them.”
Informed people (I read the NYT, WaPo, occasionally some other news sources) know that there has been no court-proof evidence of such manipulations presented, ever. But I don’t want to argue with you, that’s not the topic here, after all. Nikki Haley, huh? Well… no comment.
Steven Forbes, whose magazine has covered the war with many excellent reports, is right: Team Biden isn’t showing a clear direction, is weak on leadership. I suspect the reasons for this are a mix of outdated cold war reasoning, when Russia still was a superpower (it ain’t anymore) and poll driven policies, making the WH trying to find the way of least resistance. But it’s foolish to fall for Putin’s propaganda, creating a vastly exaggerated picture of russian power, and to try to reach out to anti-ukrainian Trump voters, who won’t vote Dem anyway.
In this drastically changed global situation, it’s not confused and fearful voters who should decide on national security policy, but the President, by pushing for decisive measures to fight the enemy, executed in a timely manner. Nothing can be gained from hand wringing and half-assed decisions, hard fisted responses make the difference now. Biden may think that it’s not his job to win popularity polls in Ukraine, but the inconvenient truth is that his lame command doesn’t really boost his poll numbers in the US, neither. And the longer this war drags on, the worse for him. Enough already with this indecisiveness, it’s time for the President to find his inner Roosevelt now!
Nobody really knows why Biden is such a coward and so weak when it comes to his methodology in this war.
There is no reason for this.
The majority of American people support helping Ukraine, so this can’t be a reason. In Congress, too, there is bipartisan support, so this also cannot be a reason. And, the majority of experts seriously doubt that the rat will go nuclear over this, so this can’t be a reason, too. Only the old dust bag knows why he’s the way he is.
What team Biden needs to realize is that this is their war. The Russo-Ukraine is their Desert Storm, Their Balkan Wars, their Global War on Terrorism.
This is what will define his administration’s. in ten years nobody will give a shit about his stand on Gun Control. LBGT rights, or Student Debt forgiveness. These are all worthy causes but they pale in comparison to the horrores of the war in Ukraine and Russian barberism.
What’s more, in less than a year there will be some serious accounting for the administrations conduct. Hard questions will be asked. Questions that cannot be blithely ignored like they came from a leader desperate to defend his people.
So what Biden needs to start taking ownership HIS war, how to win it and spend less time worrying about offending Putin’s sensibilities and what “life after Putin.” will look like.
Because I can guaran-damn-tee you Putin is not worrying about life after Biden.
In foreign policy, Biden must and will stand to be considered one of America’s worst presidents. It all started with Afghanistan, and it will end somewhere in Eastern Europe. Reputable historians will rip him apart in this regard, and rightfully so.