Notwithstanding a few gaffes and a little bit of slurring, he looked confident and energetic.
It speaks volumes about the political discourse in the United States and the concerns of the people that the last State of the Union Speech (7 March) of President Joe Biden was closely
watched and dissected, not so much for his policy pronouncements on pressing domestic issues or his messages and signals to friends, foes and allies abroad, as for his body language, overall demeanour and the manner in which he delivered it. Notwithstanding a few fleeting gaffes and a little bit of slurring, he looked confident, energetic and presidential. His smiles and occasional reference to his Republican rivals suggested that he was in control.
Around 61% of the viewers of the CNN and some other TV channels felt that Biden’s performance left a positive impression on them; 31% felt he was very good. He spoke very
animatedly while referring to the fateful 6 January 2021, which witnessed unprecedented assault at the Capitol. “My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth about Jan 6th. I will not do that,” was his reminder to Trump supporters. While he spoke very passionately about the danger to democracy posed by Trump, he spoke with considerable emotion and sensitivity about the killing of a black man Tyre Nicholas by a Memphis police officer in January. This was a masterclass by a mature and seasoned politician, who was determined to allay doubts and apprehensions about his physical and mental health and his ability to lead the most powerful nation on earth. Many sceptics in the Republican Party were disappointed that Joe Biden didn’t do too badly.
As expected, he claimed that the economy has done well in his presidency, inflation is under check and jobs have been created. He claimed, “We’ve created, with the help of many people in this room, 12 million new jobs.” Evidently, job creation is an electoral issue
not only in India, but also in the US. Like Trump and Obama before him, Biden also pointed out, “Too many good-paying manufacturing jobs moved overseas.” This seems a time
tested stance to address the emotive jobs issue on the eve of an election. But the ground reality is different: the US just doesn’t have enough qualified and trained technical hands to
meet the industry’s needs. Leading American compnies have said in the past that they have no option but to hire Indian techies and their services make their companies competitive and profitable.
PM Modi has been stressing on his mantra: At manirbhar Bharat and urging Indian citizens to buy made in India products. In the current Indian budget, there is significant allocation of funds for infrastructure. Surprisingly, there is considerable similarity in Biden’s priority: “Tonight, I’m also announcing new standards to require all construction materials used in
federal infrastructure projects to be made in America. Made in America… And on my watch, American roads, bridges, and American highways are going to be made with American products as well.” Manufacturing of chips and semiconductor is a priority for India. Biden
lamented that the US that invented computer chips and once had a 40% global market share has shrunken to just 10% now. This state needs to change. In the following para if we replace the word America or American with India or Indian, it might pass as if written in India: “There is no place for political violence in America. We haveto protect the right to vote, not suppress that fundamental right. Honour the results of our elections, not subvert the will of the people. We have to uphold the rule of the law and restore trust in our institutions of democracy. And we must give hate and extremism in any form no safe harbour. Democracy must not be a partisan issue. It’s an American issue.”
And when he talks of American resilience, its ability to move ahead, it sounds so familiar: “Folks, the story of America is a story of progress and re silience, of always moving forward, of never, ever giving up.” He defines America in one word: “Possibilities”. As
the Indian economy, currently the fastest growing large economy in the world, races ahead to become the third largest by 2030, if not earlier, the day is not far when we will be able to call India the land of unlimited opportunities. In the sphere of foreign affairs, Biden claimed to have united the NATO, strengthened ties with the allies and promised Ukraine unstinted support: “We’re going to stand with you as long as it takes.” While rhetorically,
this sounds very impressive, there are reports of differences between Biden and Zelenskyy. Several Republican Congressmen also question the open-ended support to Ukraine. Obviously, if Trump manages to enter the White House, the supply of much needed weapons and monetary support to Ukraine might dry up.
His references to China were a mix of bravado and cautious accommodation: “Today, we’re in the strongest position in decades to compete with China or any one else in the world… I’m committed to work with China where we can advance American interests and benefit the world. But make no mistake about it: if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country.”. While claiming that he had told Xi Jinping that the US seeks com
petition, not conflict, Biden emphasised, “We’re investing, to make America stronger… Investing in American innovation and industries that will define the future that China intends to be dominating.”
Biden compared the Russian President to Hitler and claimed that Russian aggression would not stop in Ukraine. However, he stressed, “We will not bow down.” His references to the Hamas-Israel conflict and the situation in Gaza were on predictable lines. He condemned Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, supported Israel’s right to defend itself and attempt to release the hostages but also expressed his unhappiness about the
toll of civilian deaths in Gaza and maintained, “protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority.” This was a rebuke of sort of Israel. But in the election, Biden cannot afford to be too critical of Israel. Biden seems to have no solution to offer to stop the mounting loss of innocent lives in Gaza. There was just a passing reference to India along with other countries in the context of countering China: “We are standing up against China’s unfair
economic practices, standing up for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait but revitalizing our partnership with allies in the Pacific, India, Australia, Japan, South Korea.”
Surendra Kumar is a former Ambassador of India.