Is Joe Biden Another Gorbachev?

Is Joe Biden, for no fault of his, presiding over the decline and the collapse of the United States? Much like Mikhail Gorbachev, under whom, the erstwhile Soviet Union broke up into several "stans", Biden too seems to be the President under whom the American Empire is unraveling.

Let us start with the first reason for my argument. As Gorbachev did, Biden too "withdrew" troops from Afghanistan, long considered "the graveyard of empires". Though successive presidents from Obama onward wanted to end the "forever war", it is under Biden's watch that the Americans finally "exited" Afghanistan.

Of course, the "deal" to end the war was done by Donald Trump, though the actual decision to end the occupation was taken by Biden. Moreover, the "circumstances" under which the Americans left Afghanistan were anything but dignified and Biden is being roasted for the "hasty" departure.

Next, while the G20 summit is underway in Rome, and the COP26 (Climate Change conference) in Glasgow after that, Biden has gone there without the passage of the "historic" Spending Bill, that proposes massive investments in "green" initiatives, dubbed the Green New Deal for the "transformative" mission of addressing physical and human infrastructure needs with a vision similar to that of FDR, who Biden often invokes.

While Republican obscurantism is the most important reason for the bill not having passed Congress, it is also very much the case that Democratic infighting between "progressives" and "moderates" has stalled its passage, which is another manifestation of a dysfunctional government, much like the Soviet Union before its collapse.

Having said that, there are other more compelling arguments for why Joe Biden's Presidency is similar to Gorbachev's time. The United States, arguably the most powerful empire in history, now confronts a populace who believes conspiracy theories more than science and fact, as can be seen by the growing popularity of QAnon and the absolute "foolhardiness" of the Anti Vaxxers and the Anti Maskers, in a country renown for its scientific and technological prowess.

Moreover, the continuing relevance of Donald Trump is an indication that the "Denial of Reality" (a sign of civilizational decay) is very much alike and thriving. It is a matter of concern that many Republicans continue to support Trump and would be very happy if he returns to the center of action. Indeed, his popularity is als o frightening, since he almost succeeded in staging a "coup" to retain power.

While Biden is doing his best to convince Americans of the need for sanity and pragmatic debate, Fox News continues its hysterical and Over the Top hyperbole with little thought for facts. Another sign that Americans are now so "disconnected" from anything remotely factual, much like the USSR before collapse, where the only ones who had a "grip" on the situation were the wannabe oligarchs, who sensed an opportunity in the breakup.

Again, this is another similarity where the Top 1% continues its “If you can’t eat Bread, Eat Cake” stance, much like Mary Antoinette before the French Revolution. What more!! Many on both the Left and Right are openly talking about “Civil War” and another Revolution, though not in the spirit of the French before Bastille, rather akin to the USSR in late 1980s.

So, there you have it!! Joe Biden needs a “miracle” to not lose the House and Senate in the 2022 Midterms and stop the Republicans from an all out assault on democracy and human rights, another factor in the decline of the country from a preeminent power to a flailing nation. He might well be the President under whose watch the country descended into chaos and conflict.