Joe Biden’s Candidacy, a Dilemma for the Unipolar Order

Since the June 28 debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, a crescendo of voices has been building, calling for the President to withdraw from the race. Some Democratic Congressmen are speaking out, warning that a loss to Trump in the November election is likely if Biden is the nominee, so he must be replaced by a “stronger”, younger candidate. The media, including prominent reporters and columnists, have added to the noise, accusing his campaign of covering up the infirmities of his age, which were so apparent during the debate, and speculating that he is suffering from dementia or Parkinson’s, while running scenarios about who will replace him and how.

But there has been no critical evaluation of his policies. For example, is his unwillingness to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine the product of his mental degeneration? And if so, when did it start? With his role as President Obama’s point man for the Maidan coup in Ukraine in 2014? Or with his refusal to address President Putin’s demand that the West take Russian security concerns regarding NATO eastward expansion seriously?

In the last days, large donors from Hollywood and Silicon Valley have cut off, or threatened to cut off financial support for him and Democratic Party candidates unless the party removes him as a candidate. They are committed to keeping Donald Trump out of the White House, because of his unpredictability and independence. But Joe Biden is resisting calls to step aside, saying he won’t quit.

What is lost in the drama is that Biden is not the cause of the crisis. His policies have made things worse, but the other options among Democrats will not improve things. The crisis is due to the breakdown of the liberal democratic model, which serves as a cover for an imperial strategy designed to advance the interests of the financial oligarchy. The “rules-based order” demands adherence to “rules” which are undemocratic, and uses wars, coups and assassinations to sustain its control. The oligarchs supporting this collapsing order control the vast majority of elected officials in both major U.S, parties.

Leaders in the Global South have emerged, seeking an alternative to the weaponization of the dollar, by joining the BRICS, expanding trade with Russia, China and India, rebelling against the unipolar order. At the same time, establishment’s plans for war and austerity have provoked a backlash among voters in Europe, and in the U.S. The fear among many in the U.S. donor class is that sticking with these policies will fuel rebellion. Some seem to believe that putting a new face on corporatist/fascist predatory practices might keep them in power, so, therefore, “Joe must go”. And since Biden has said he will not quit, things could get very ugly.