Kissinger's words serves as prophetic warning as 'lost' Biden heads down wrong path
Words of Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, who died on Wednesday aged 100, serve as a prophetic warning for Joe Biden, says Peggy Grande.
This week America mourned the passing of esteemed diplomat and statesman, Dr. Henry A. Kissinger.
Escaping Nazi Germany as a youth, Kissinger became a US citizen and joined the Army, returning to Germany to fight the Third Reich and defeat Hitler. He became Secretary of State under President Nixon and is most remembered for his work in opening relations with China and supporting Israel during the Yom Kippur War.
As Dr. Kissinger is being remembered, many of his words have been revisited and memorialized. One such quote seems particularly fitting for President Biden to heed today.
Americans increasingly know this. See this. Sense this. The nation feels as if it is off balance and dangerous, while the world seems chaotic and ablaze.
Yet this is not just problematic for individuals and families, though that is a problem, but is also dangerous for America and the world.
We currently see this playing out in ways which previously would have been unimaginable. For instance, as hostages have been released out of Gaza, not one American was released until Day 3.
This is a slap in the face to President Biden who was “disappointed” and “remained hopeful” that Americans would soon be released.
Let’s keep in mind that President Biden has been bragging about how involved and influential he has been in brokering this deal to get hostages released. So, did the deal he brokered not include immediate release of Americans?
If not, why not? And if it did, then Hamas certainly did not feel bound by the terms of that Agreement. Either way, it appears Joe Biden needs to read Donald Trump’s book, “The Art of the Deal.” Trump would never have negotiated – or bragged about – such a failed agreement.
While it’s hard to imagine that Hamas would have taken, or held, any Americans hostage if President Trump was in the Oval Office, we can be fairly certain that on Day One, American hostages would have been the first ones to be released – likely waving American flags and wearing red, white, and blue USA t-shirts. Under Trump, there was a healthy fear of US power which not only functioned as a deterrent, but also as a motivation to stay in good standing with America and its allies.
Despite Biden’s weak finger-wagging warning “Don’t,” there have been more than 70 attacks against US military assets in the Middle East which have gone unanswered by the Biden administration, except for a slight hand slap.
“Don’t” is not a deterrent, or a strategy, and without swift, decisive, and strong response, ongoing aggression by Hamas and Hezbollah is invited. Increasing attacks on American bases and ships is a consequence of Biden’s weakness.
That weakness emboldens our enemies to provoke, attack, and even mock our unwillingness to respond decisively. America is no longer seen as strong and is now neither respected nor feared on the world stage - even by terrorist groups.
It is clearer by the day as crises amass that President Biden has destabilized America and the world. And, just as Kissinger predicted, since he does not know where he is going, Joe Biden’s path for America is getting us nowhere we want to be.
Peggy Grande was executive assistant to Ronald Reagan and is author of “The President Will See You Now.” She was Chair of World for Brexit and served as a political appointee in the Trump Administration. Peggy serves on the Board of Pepperdine School of Public Policy, and the Board of The Center for American Ideas.
