The easiest job in the world is foreign policy critic. I know because I not only play one on TV...it's what I do. No one gets everything right. No one controls all variables. There are always complications and options that could've, should've been considered.
But as easy as it is to critique and say, "I'm smarter, if only they'd done it my way," it is almost impossibly hard to actually conduct effective foreign policy, especially for a superpower like the U.S. There are so many moving parts.
There are so many institutional hurdles. There are so many political obstacles. There are so many factors and egos and allied interests and variables to contend with. Especially on big, fast-breaking issues of global concern.
It is so mind-bogglingly challenging that it is almost impossible to image. It is also why most U.S. administrations frankly aren't very good at it. Because it's real real hard. And that's what makes the current effort on the part of the Biden team so impressive.
Ignore the inane politically inspired critiques that will follow this thread. Ignore the bots and the commentariat and the whingeing of political opportunists. Consider the 30 countries in NATO, the moving parts, the concerns of the people of Ukraine, the inscrutability...
...of Putin, the scenarios that must be considered, the unknowns (and yes, that whole Rumsfeldian list of known unknowns and unknown unknowns and so-on). And then imagine doing that while managing negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal.
Add to it the work being done to construct a new security architecture for the Indo-Pacific, to combat the climate crisis, to stop immigration flows from their source, to contain next generation threats like cyber and AI, to shape international economic policy and...
...and to do all that in the midst of a pandemic. Yes, it's the job. But this team is handling it, getting better at it & advancing our national interests with or without the support of many in our country. And, for the record, I for one, after 30 years in this biz, am impressed.
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