Why Joe Biden Is The #1 Worst President In US History | Marko Papic

Episode Overview

• One speaker presents his list of the five worst US presidents for foreign policy, controversially placing Joe Biden at number one.
• The list also includes George W. Bush, Lyndon B. Johnson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy.
• A significant portion of the episode is a debate between the two hosts about the merits and failures of Joe Biden's foreign policy, particularly concerning the war in Ukraine and the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• The discussion explores how domestic political pressures and a failure to adapt to a multipolar world have shaped recent US foreign policy decisions.

Key Concepts

• Ranking Presidential Foreign Policy: The central exercise of the episode is a subjective ranking of presidents based on their perceived foreign policy blunders, with a strong emphasis on post-WWII administrations.
• Critique of Biden's Ukraine Strategy: The speaker argues that the Biden administration's primary failure in Ukraine was not clearly defining what "victory" looks like, leading to a prolonged and costly conflict without a clear endgame.
• Neoconservatism in the Modern Era: Joe Biden's foreign policy is characterized as "the last gasp of neoconservatism," suggesting he revived a failed, interventionist approach from the George W. Bush era instead of adapting to new geopolitical realities.
• The "Soft on China" Dilemma: The discussion highlights how domestic political fear of being perceived as "soft on China" has paralyzed the Biden administration, preventing it from pursuing pragmatic negotiations or de-escalation.
• Unipolar vs. Multipolar World: A core argument is that Joe Biden's administration has made critical errors by acting as if the US still operates in a unipolar world, failing to recognize the constraints and dynamics of a new multipolar era.

Quotes

• At 00:11 - "I would say the worst president in the history of the United States of America for foreign policy." - The speaker makes his controversial initial claim, placing Joe Biden at the top of his "worst presidents" list.
• At 01:37 - "He was the one who ended the forever wars... it was Biden who took the flack to do it." - The second speaker offers a counterpoint, giving President Biden credit for making the difficult decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
• At 08:49 - "They live in a social media age, they live in an age where foreign policy has never been as democratically discussed domestically... and they were so susceptible to those pressures." - The first speaker provides his final analysis on why the Biden administration's foreign policy is flawed, attributing it to a weakness against domestic political and social media pressures.

Takeaways

• Context is critical when evaluating foreign policy. A president's decisions must be judged against the geopolitical realities of their time; applying a unipolar mindset (like in the 1990s) to a multipolar world is a recipe for failure.
• Domestic political perception can override pragmatic foreign policy. The fear of appearing weak to adversaries can prevent an administration from making necessary diplomatic deals or de-escalating conflicts, leading to worse outcomes.
• Clearly defining objectives is essential for successful foreign intervention. Without a clear and achievable definition of "victory" or a desired end-state, military and financial support for allies can become an open-ended quagmire with no clear path to resolution.