QOTD -- Rallying Democracies

 

"On Wednesday, I depart for Europe on the first foreign travel of my presidency. It is a trip stacked with meetings with many of our closest democratic partners — including the Group of Seven nations, our NATO allies and the leadership of the European Union — before concluding by meeting with Vladimir Putin. In this moment of global uncertainty, as the world still grapples with a once-in-a-century pandemic, this trip is about realizing America’s renewed commitment to our allies and partners, and demonstrating the capacity of democracies to both meet the challenges and deter the threats of this new age.

"Whether it is ending the covid-19 pandemic everywhere, meeting the demands of an accelerating climate crisis, or confronting the harmful activities of the governments of China and Russia, the United States must lead the world from a position of strength. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan and our domestic vaccination strategy, our economy is now growing faster than at any time in almost 40 years. We have created more jobs in the first four months of our administration than under any other president. Wages are increasing for American workers. And, as America’s economic recovery helps to propel the global economy, we will be stronger and more capable when we are flanked by nations that share our values and our vision for the future — by other democracies." -- President Biden, writing in this morning's Washington Post about his upcoming trip to Europe.  Undoing the damage done in the past 4 years by the malignant former guy may never be complete; rebuilding trust among our allies and responding to aggressive actions by Russia and China is the geopolitical challenge of our time.  It's made especially challenging by the fifth column of Trumpists/ Republicans whose values align more with those of our adversaries and who are desperately trying to undermine our democratic system at home (including one Senator who calls himself a Democrat).