A “foreign policy for the middle class” and centering human rights collide in the Middle East.
By Jonathan Guyer, Vox
As the average national gas price topped $5 a gallon, the White House formally announced that President Joe Biden, in a significant policy turnaround, would be traveling to Saudi Arabia.
On the campaign trail, Biden had called the oil-rich kingdom a “pariah” in response to US intelligence groups’ conclusion that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Though the US relationship with Saudi Arabia teetered along in the background, Biden had resisted directly meeting MBS. But July 13-16, he’ll travel to the Middle East. He’ll visit the Saudi city of Jeddah and meet about 10 Arab heads of state and travel to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.
Biden’s decision to go to Saudi Arabia in July as part of his first Middle East trip as president reveals the tensions at the heart of his foreign policy.
So far, there have been two foreign policy bumper stickers of his administration. The first: putting human rights at the center of foreign policy. As the US has put its diplomatic power into supporting Ukraine, Biden and his team lately have framed the issue more as supporting democracies versus autocracies.
The second bumper sticker is a foreign policy for the middle class, which feels like the international counterpart to Build Back Better. The idea, which Biden had put forth when campaigning, is that foreign policy is too often divorced from the daily lives of Americans in the heartland, and that what the US does abroad should work for them.
Recent Posts
Everywhere You Go in Downtown DC: “Stop Sending Weapons To Israel”
May 8, 2024
Take Action Now 8 different bus stops in downtown Washington, D.C now feature 7 foot signs that say “Stop sending weapons to Israel”…
Macklemore Dares Others To Stand Up For Palestine
May 8, 2024
Take Action Now With “Hind’s Hall,” the rapper is telling artists and other culture workers, “The students are risking it all. Where are you?” By…
Then and Now: Anti-War Activism In 1968 And 2024
May 7, 2024
Take Action Now The real foundation was that people escaped from cynicism into the elation, turmoil, rage, and passion of believing there is a…
“You Have Been Warned”: Republican Senators Threaten ICC Prosecutor Over Possible Israel Arrest Warrants
May 7, 2024
Take Action Now Read the full letter, obtained by Zeteo, which threatens sanctions in defense of Netanyahu. By Team Zeteo and Mehdi Hasan, Zeteo…