Biden’s Foreign Policy should rise and fall on Human Rights
The world has become a fearful place for the poor and weak. The heavy hand of authoritarians has gone unchecked since the US absconded it’s duty to protect the vulnerable. After all, what does it mean anyway to be the leader of the free world. But this didn’t happen only under Trump, but it is Trump’s bromance with dictators that left many wondering if he would lift a finger to protect the powerless.
To Trump’s credit, he helped secure the release of those persecuted around the world. But that applied to Christians thanks to the Evangelicals who put pressure on him. This was somehow favoritism since the Uighurs of China, and the Rohingya in Myanmar, were treated to sympathy and no action. Not to mention the treatment of Palestinians by the State of Israel. The Trump adminstration made it clear by their actions whose human rights they were willing to protect. Certainly not for every religion though they claimed to have setup a commission for the protection of religious freedoms. Certainly not to protect democratic rights since Trump was willing to stay mum while President Xi went bonkers on Hong Kong. As long as Trump got the trade deal he wanted.
With a Biden adminstration, it’s not the time to be mild on human rights and freedom. The world has become more cruel than he left four years ago. First, America as an ally of Israel should demand the recognition of equal rights of Palestinians within the State of Israel. If Israel wants Biden to completely abandon and not renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal. This would guarantee humanity and rights for Palestinians who have been treated as second class citizens. This should make everyone happy including a hostile Iran.
The give and take of diplomacy should apply in trade negotiations with China where Biden should demand autonomy of Hong Kong. Anything less should be a non starter. Each item of diplomacy should be weighed against the other but I believe that human rights should be at the top of that list. The result is a sane and empathetic world. Then we will sense a real change of American leadership.
Biden should make dictators and wannabe dictators shake in their pants. They can no longer bombard homes and hospitals with bombs without sanctions for human rights violations. The priority to see each other’s humanness will make the world a better place.
If we can be only remember MJ’s famous 1984 song. 'Heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race…' America shone a different light to the world. The western world stood up to hunger. How much more can America do for the rights of the persecuted and oppressed. America will be doing us a favor by using it’s power to protect and not bully. But it will be living up to its name as 'the leader of the free world’.
If anything holds up as a legacy of Biden’s first term in office, it’s the stance he will take on human rights abuses before he takes office and while he is in office. Lest we forget, it’s while Biden was second-in-command that the Syrians were left to fend for themselves, while America’s redline became obliterated time and time again. We hope this time, no one will cross the redline without action from the US.
Again, it’s alot to expect from the US, because other players have filled the void in the years of America’s decline presided by Trump. But on this one thing, human rights, we expect the US to act where these players have been unwilling to protect basic rights. A Biden’s presidency is our only hope that America and the world can advance to a free world status.
