Ben Rhodes, the Obama guy, on grappling with reality

https://archive.is/BeVWG

Second, the old rules-based international order doesn’t really exist anymore. As the old order unravels, these overlapping blocs (BRICS, CSTO) are competing over what will replace it.

If Biden does win a second term, he should use it to build on those of his policies that have accounted for shifting global realities, while pivoting away from the political considerations, maximalism, and Western-centric view that have caused his administration to make some of the same mistakes as its predecessors.

If Washington allows foreign policy to be driven by zero-sum maximalist demands, it risks a choice between open-ended conflict and embarrassment.

On the one hand, encouraging to see an establishment liberal pumping the brakes on unipolarity, on the other hand, disappointing because both the Biden and Trump regimes have been full of maximalist neoconservatives as far as foreign policy.

Definitely liberal brainworms on display still, like this passage:

American rhetoric about the rules-based international order has been seen around the world on a split screen of hypocrisy, as Washington has supplied the Israeli government with weapons used to bombard Palestinian civilians with impunity. The war has created a policy challenge for an administration that criticizes Russia for the same indiscriminate tactics that Israel has used in Gaza.

NO THEY FUCKING HAVEN’T FUCK YOU BEN

In Ukraine, the United States and Europe should focus on protecting and investing in the territory controlled by the Ukrainian government—drawing Ukraine into European institutions, sustaining its economy, and fortifying it for lengthy negotiations with Moscow so that time works in Kyiv’s favor.

Rofl what does this mean? How is this different from what’s happening now? Time will never work in kyiv’s favour - that’s the problem with attrition war. Every 6 months ukraine is in a worse position than it was previously.

In the Middle East, Washington should join with Arab and European partners to work directly with Palestinians on the development of new leadership and toward the recognition of a Palestinian state, while supporting Israel’s security. Regional de-escalation with Iran should, as it did during the Obama administration, begin with negotiated restrictions on its nuclear program.

So we’re still talking about getting rid of hamas. And it is too bad that Biden didn’t pursue restart of the jcpoa, but he chose to continue trump’s policy over Obama because he didn’t want to give the Israelis a tummy ache. He’s a staunch Zionist. Note, no prescription for relations with Hezbollah or ansarallah there, just an assumption that resolving things with Iran will improve relations elsewhere. In other words, misunderstanding of the relationships of the axis of resistance.

In Taiwan, the United States should try to preserve the status quo by investing in Taiwanese military capabilities while avoiding saber rattling, by structuring engagement with Beijing to avoid miscalculation, and by mobilizing international support for a negotiated, peaceful resolution to Taiwan’s status.

America’s strategy in Taiwan should be to have its cake while eating it too

Overall, not a terrible framing of the article, but truly written by a speechwriter lapdog. It follows the familiar Obama-technocrat style of describing a problem somewhat correctly while offering no material change in approach, without recognizing the true cost of failure. Still, maybe worth a share to the libs in our lives because of Ben’s pedigree.