{"id":30075,"date":"2023-11-21T12:45:27","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T20:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=30075"},"modified":"2023-11-21T12:45:28","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T20:45:28","slug":"lbjs-fate-and-joe-bidens-many-vietnams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/11\/21\/lbjs-fate-and-joe-bidens-many-vietnams\/","title":{"rendered":"LBJ’s Fate and Joe Biden’s Many Vietnams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"U.S.<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

U.S. President Joe Biden arrives at Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church to attend Mass, in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 18, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0(Photo by Roberto Schmidt\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On whistling past the graveyards of foreign misadventures and the political peril of war-weary voters.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

RICHARD ESKOW<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nov 20, 2023 Common Dreams<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With just a few minor changes, President Biden\u2019s recent op-ed<\/u><\/a> in the Washington Post could have been taken from a half-century-old time capsule. \u201cThe United States is the essential nation,\u201d he writes. \u201cThe world looks to us to solve the problems of our time. That is the duty of leadership, and America will lead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a blast from the past, and not in a good way. The op-ed speaks of wars to fight and enemies to defeat, from Russia to the Middle East, with the U.S. once again serving as global police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pax Americana <\/em>is back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the face of global outrage, the president has proposed a \u201chumanitarian pause\u201d in U.S.-backed violence. While that would be welcome, the president\u2019s words show us that he\u2019s had no change of heart. \u201cThe world looks to us to solve the problems of our time,\u201d the op-ed asserts. Most of the world would be happy if we didn\u2019t create any more problems than we already have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The op-ed tells us that the president holds an obsolete view of the world as a stage, with the U.S. as chief protagonist in a Manichean struggle between the forces of light and those of darkness. America\u2019s enemies represent \u201cpure, unadulterated evil\u201d who are \u201cfighting to wipe a neighboring democracy off the map\u2019 (as if Israel were a democracy), while the U.S. is a planetary Dudley Do-Right who will \u201cstand up to aggressors and make progress toward a brighter, more peaceful future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The word \u201claw\u201d only appears once, and \u201cdiplomacy\u201d isn\u2019t mentioned at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hopes of All Humanity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Biden\u2019s op-ed brought to mind the words of Lyndon Johnson, who said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cFor today we Americans share responsibility not only for our own security but for the security of all free nations, not only for our own society but for an entire civilization, not only for our own liberty but for the hopes of all humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Those words were spoken nearly sixty years ago. They have not aged well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWill Israelis and Palestinians one day live side by side in peace,\u201d President Biden writes, \u201cwith two states for two peoples?\u201d But the dream of a two-state solution has been crushed under the weight of 700,000 Israelis on Palestinian land, subsidized by a rightwing government that built illegal settlements under the passive gaze of U.S. politicians like Biden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lyndon Johnson said this about Vietnam in 1965: \u201cWe will not be defeated. We will not grow tired. We will not withdraw, either openly or under the cloak of a meaningless agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in the end, after all the killing, that\u2019s exactly what happened. It will probably happen again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LBJ presided over the creation of Medicare and the passage of the Voting Rights Act, but the growing unpopularity of the war in Vietnam forced him to step down rather than face defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden\u2019s op-ed is another attempt to paint the administration\u2019s multiple military sprees as a single, unified, glorious mission. That mission is failing in its goals and harming U.S. interests at home and abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that way, at least, Biden\u2019s presidency increasingly resembles LBJ\u2019s. Johnson presided over the creation of Medicare and the passage of the Voting Rights Act, but the growing unpopularity of the war in Vietnam forced him to step down rather than face defeat. The result was the presidency of Richard Nixon, whose one-and-a-half terms altered the trajectory of American history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s odd. When we were protesting Johnson in high school, he seemed like an old man. But Johnson was 59 years old when he withdrew from the 1968 race, more than two decades younger than Joe Biden will be next November. This president cannot afford too many missteps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden has won some policy victories, but the public doesn\u2019t seem to be feeling them. His age also has voters worried. And yet, despite these weaknesses, he\u2019s thrown caution to the winds on military adventurism. In that, he seems to be following in his younger predecessor\u2019s footsteps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Losing Voters at the Speed of War<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In Israel\u2019s case, it reflects longstanding loyalty on his part \u2013 a loyalty that is not reciprocated by Benjamin Netanyahu, who humiliates him virtually every chance he gets. But Biden is a true believer. He said this in a 1986 clip<\/u><\/a> that will almost certainly be recycled in next year\u2019s campaign:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about time we stop apologizing for our support for Israel. There\u2019s no apology to be made, none. It is the best $3 billion investment we make. If there weren\u2019t an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel to protect her interests in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In other words, let\u2019s fight them over there so we don\u2019t have to fight them over here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Biden\u2019s $3 billion \u201cinvestment\u201d is approaching $17 billion this year, and it\u2019s becoming increasingly clear that \u2014 like the nation\u2019s wasteful military adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan\u2014 it\u2019s likely to create more enemies than it kills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden has won some policy victories, but the public doesn\u2019t seem to be feeling them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The public isn\u2019t buying it. The latest NBC News poll<\/u><\/a> shows that his handling of Israel and Gaza is crushing his already shaky poll numbers. As NBC reports:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

President Joe Biden\u2019s approval rating has declined to the lowest level of his presidency \u2014 40% \u2014 as strong majorities of all voters disapprove of his handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe erosion for Biden is most pronounced among Democrats,\u201d NBC adds, \u201cmajority of whom believe Israel has gone too far in its military action in Gaza, and among voters ages 18 to 34, with a whopping 70% of them disapproving of Biden\u2019s handling of the war …\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NBC report continues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

What stands out in the new survey is the shift among voters ages 18 to 34. In September, 46% of these voters said they approved of Biden\u2019s job performance. Now? Biden\u2019s approval rating dropped to 31% among these voters.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Biden is losing groups he can\u2019t afford to lose. He\u2019s already seen his support plunge from 59 percent to 17 percent among Arab Americans<\/u><\/a>, a critical voting bloc in several swing states. Now he\u2019s losing young voters. These numbers are likely to get worse as voters hear more about the mass killing of innocents in Gaza with American weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden is losing groups he can\u2019t afford to lose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s undoubtedly why the White House tried to conceal the kinds of weapons we\u2019ve been sending Israel, but Bloomberg News<\/u><\/a> got the list. They include 36,000 rounds of 30mm cannon ammunition, 1,800 M141 bunker-buster munitions, precision-guided munitions, drones, small-diameter bombs, and 155mm artillery shells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Bloomberg reports, over 30 relief organizations asked Austin not to send these weapons, especially the 155mm shells. \u2018In Gaza, one of the world\u2019s most densely populated places, 155mm artillery shells are inherently indiscriminate,\u2019 the organizations said. \u2018These munitions are unguided and have a high error radius.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too late. Austin<\/u><\/a> had already declared that \u201cU.S. security assistance to Israel will flow in at the speed of war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blank Check<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to military interventions, Biden is spending money hand over fist. This chart from the Council on Foreign Relations<\/u><\/a> outlines the amount spent and publicly disclosed through July 31:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Graph<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Biden\u2019s new supplemental spending bill would provide another $66 billion in aid for Ukraine ($44.4 billion of which is military), an additional $14.3 billion in direct military aid for Israel, and $7 billion for a buildup in the South China Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The projected total in direct military assistance to Ukraine alone <\/em>is greater than the 2022 military budget of any nation on Earth <\/em>except the U.S. and China\u2014and the U.S. spends nearly three times as much as China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That leaves the president and his party vulnerable to right-wing appeals like this one from Tucker Carlson<\/u><\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Unlike so many of our elected leaders, (Trump voters) have been to America recently. They know what it looks like. Have you seen it? If you’ve got a few days this summer, find out. Take a road trip and see for yourself. Drive 500 miles in any direction and then come home. How are things looking? \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are potholes and Jersey barriers everywhere. Looks like Tegucigalpa before the Chinese decided to rebuild the infrastructure of Honduras … And you wonder as you see all of this, where did all the money go? It’s certainly not here. Well, it’s in Washington … And of course, a huge chunk of it went to Ukraine, to Zelensky and his friends.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Whatever one\u2019s feelings about Ukraine, it\u2019s hard to deny that rhetoric like this could resonate with a war-weary and economically insecure electorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

One, Two, Three, Many Vietnams<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Biden\u2019s relentless militarism, especially in Israel, is markedly driving down his already weak poll numbers. His support for Ukraine has not yet hurt him among his party\u2019s base, but that could change. The conflict is at a stalemate even as he calls for $66 billion in additional aid. What happens next?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden\u2019s relentless militarism, especially in Israel, is markedly driving down his already weak poll numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Americans largely support Ukraine\u2019s independence, as they should, but the public\u2019s patience is not unlimited. They may demand diplomacy instead of war, especially as the fighting drags on\u2014and especially if they learn that the U.S. alliance<\/u><\/a> appears to have blocked a diplomatic settlement early in the conflict. That\u2019s something Republicans will be eager to tell them about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Americans\u2019 compassion for Ukraine may take a different form as they watch its people continue to die in a war that\u2019s not making progress. The Defense Secretary\u2019s stated goal of using Ukrainians to \u201cweaken<\/u><\/a>\u201d Russia\u2019s military strength may start to look as inhumane as it is wasteful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most striking thing about U.S. involvement in the bombing of Gaza is how rapidly public support for it has fallen. In that sense, Israel\u2019s assault has already become Biden\u2019s Vietnam. By next November, his expenditures in Ukraine could become another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most striking thing about U.S. involvement in the bombing of Gaza is how rapidly public support for it has fallen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vietnam was originally a popular war, too, but the ongoing loss of life, the expense, and its well-publicized brutality eroded its support and ended LBJ\u2019s presidency. It\u2019s true that, unlike Vietnam, today\u2019s conflicts don\u2019t involve U.S. soldiers. But there is a greater sense of economic distress today\u2014and a smart Republican will play on fears of a nuclear confrontation with Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support for Vietnam didn\u2019t fade overnight<\/u><\/a>. It took the 1968 Tet Offensive to drive the percentage of voters supporting the war down into the 30\u2019s. Today, at least one Ukrainian general acknowledges the war is a stalemate<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many things could go wrong. The president might have to invest more\u2014far more\u2014into the war than he has yet promised. He could risk a direct confrontation with Russia. Ukraine could experience a battlefield defeat similar to the Tet Offensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or all those things could happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whistling Past the Graveyard<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, Biden also seems to share LBJ\u2019s hostility to criticism. He reportedly<\/u><\/a> refers to Democratic strategist David Axelrod as a \u201cprick\u201d for questioning his re-electability, to which Axelrod responded:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care about them thinking I\u2019m a prick \u2014 that\u2019s fine … I hope they don\u2019t think the polls are wrong because they\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Some professional Democrats insist the polls are <\/em>wrong. They\u2019re downplaying Biden\u2019s weaknesses and counting on the unpopularity of Donald Trump to secure his re-election. That\u2019s whistling past the graveyard \u2013 which in this case is \u201ca graveyard for children<\/u><\/a>.\u201d Trump is a shrewd debater who has postured himself as an adversary of the military\/industrial \u201cdeep state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Trump may not even be the 2024 nominee. I fear Nikki Haley more than I do Trump, and polls already show her outperforming Trump by 10 points<\/u><\/a> in the general election. If Trump is convicted of a crime between now and Election Day, polls show his support dropping significantly. Meanwhile, Haley has become more polished and could overwhelm Biden on the debate stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KpIMb2JroQU?rel=0Supercut: NBC Goes to War! Turns GOP Debate into Bloodlust Contest<\/small>youtu.be<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n\n\n\n

None of this is to suggest that Republicans offer a better alternative on military issues. While they\u2019re skeptical about Ukraine, the GOP candidates who are not named Trump are even more bellicose than the current White House occupant. (I made the video above to illustrate that.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But their extremism won\u2019t necessarily save Joe Biden from LBJ\u2019s fate. It\u2019s foolish to predict an election that\u2019s twelve months away, as Democratic officials often remind us. But it\u2019s even more foolish to ignore today\u2019s poll numbers\u2014or yesterday\u2019s lessons\u2014about presidents who blindly pursue the path of war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Republicans compete for lethal prizes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RICHARD ESKOW<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richard (RJ) Eskow is a freelance writer. Much of his work can be found on eskow.substack.com. His weekly program, The Zero Hour, can be found on cable television, radio, Spotify, and podcast media. He is a senior advisor with Social Security Works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Bio ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

U.S. President Joe Biden arrives at Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church to attend Mass, in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 18, 2023. \u00a0(Photo by Roberto Schmidt\/AFP via Getty Images) On whistling past the graveyards of foreign misadventures and the political peril of war-weary voters. RICHARD ESKOW Nov 20, 2023… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[388,1471],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30075"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30075"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30076,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30075\/revisions\/30076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}