Notes on Biden’s National Security Direction

Chido Nwangwu, Founder of USAfrica multimedia networks gives a brids-eye view of American President-elect’s foreign and national security policy direction

On Tuesday, November 24, 2020, the President-elect of the United States Joseph Biden left substantial indications regarding what could be the direction of his national security and foreign policy engagement with the rest of the world.

Thankfully, after four years of what I would politely characterize as Mr. Trump’s quixotic indiscretions and crass impunity on the world stage, I believe that members of Biden’s team will follow a different national security outlook and a more collaborative agenda, away from the nativist insularity and supremacist arrogations of Trumpism.

First, I’ll like to make a special emphasis that in the 21st-century, the battle over technological superiority and health security have become critical drivers of the diplomatic and international security chess moves, artfully known as the “games nations play.” As a matter of fact, there is a 596-page book of the same name that was first published in 1975 by John W. Spanier and Robert L. Wendzel on global power play and the shifting dynamics of the perception of power.

Second, in political science and diplomacy, I do know that the critical element to look at in order to understand the likely direction and interests of most democratic governments could be drawn from their consistent pattern and pursuit of their fundamental and core national interests, especially economic advantages.

Third, the worldview — known as weltanschauung in the German language — of the leader is very important in terms of operationalizing those “vital” national interests. This explains why two Republicans namely former/late president George H Bush and the outgoing president Donald Trump saw and engaged the world differently; even though they are from the same political party. The character and nuance and priorities of every president could be different. They are usually different; just as their circumstances in context.

Fourth, credibility, strength and purposes of the principal instruments and institutions implementing the national security interests draw from the composition and outlook of the key personnel directing the implementation of the government’s interest, or shall we say the national interests.

Significantly, Biden instructed his nominees to “restore America globally, its global leadership and its moral leadership, and will ensure that our service members, diplomats and intelligence professionals can do their jobs free of politics.”

He picked Antony Blinken for Secretary of State. Blinken, a graduate of Harvard College Magna cum Laude and Columbia Law School, said, “We have to proceed with equal measures of humility and confidence. Humility because as the President-elect said, we can’t solve all the world’s problems alone. We need to be working with other countries, we need their cooperation and we need their partnership. But also confidence, because America at its best still has a greater ability than any other country on earth to bring others together to meet the challenges of our time.”

The U.S Department of State profile of the cerebral Blinken notes he was confirmed by the Senate as Deputy Secretary of State on December 16, 2014; and has served as Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor. During the first term of the Obama Administration, he was Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President.

Mr. Blinken was a member of President Clinton’s National Security Council staff at the White House from 1994 to 2001. From 1999 to 2001, he was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs – President Clinton’s principal advisor for relations with the countries of Europe, the European Union and NATO. From 1994 through 1998, Mr. Blinken was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Speechwriting and then Strategic Planning, overseeing foreign policy planning, communications and speechwriting and serving as President Clinton’s chief foreign policy speechwriter.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield who’s picked as ambassador to the United Nations said, joyfully: “My fellow career diplomats and public servants around the world, I want to say to you: America is back. Multilateralism is back. Diplomacy is back.”

Credibility, strength and purposes of the principal instruments and institutions implementing the national security interests draw from the composition and outlook of the key personnel directing the implementation of the government’s interest, or shall we say the national interests. Significantly, Biden instructed his nominees to restore America globally, its global leadership and its moral leadership, and will ensure that our service members, diplomats and intelligence professionals can do their jobs free of politics