Skip to main content

New top story from Time: Biden Laid Out an Ambitious Global Agenda at the UN General Assembly. Here’s How It Compares to Reality

https://ift.tt/3CJXKnj

Everything is easier said than done, and that’s especially true for big challenges. Like, for example, trying to establish America’s place in the 21st century world—or persuading other governments to place their confidence in you. But no matter how tall the tasks, we shouldn’t dismiss a presidential speech at the United Nations as only hot air.

With that in mind, let’s look closely at President Biden’s first address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) this week and compare it with the choices the Biden administration has actually made.

The agenda Biden laid out at the U.N. was plenty ambitious. His priorities are “ending this pandemic; addressing the climate crisis; managing the shifts in global power dynamics; shaping the rules of the world on vital issues like trade, cyber, and emerging technologies; and facing the threat of terrorism as it stands today.” Does he mean what he says?
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

COVID-19

Biden has pledged to “vaccinate the world,” and he told the U.N. that the U.S. has “shipped more than 160 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to other countries” with promises to do much more through COVAX, the global vaccine facility. The president also held a virtual COVID-19 summit meeting on the UNGA sidelines this week, to demonstrate his administration’s commitment to leading the ongoing pandemic response.

To date, the U.S. has donated more vaccine than any other country, but to raise the number of people vaccinated worldwide from the current 30 percent to the hoped-for 70 percent by September 2022, experts estimate that 11 billion doses will be needed. Biden has committed the U.S. to donate 500 million more doses of the Pfizer vaccine to developing countries beginning next year, but if that goal is to be met his administration needs a clear stance on booster shots for already vaccinated people and for first shots for less-at-risk young people.

Mixed messages from the Biden administration on this question leave other countries wondering what they can expect from the U.S. and other wealthy governments. If they prioritize providing booster shots for their own people it would make the current goals virtually impossible to reach, extending COVID-19’s life in much of the world. And poorer countries have good reason to be skeptical: Washington has promised 580 million doses but has so far delivered just 160 million.

Climate

U.S. allies and many others were delighted that President Biden recommitted to the Paris Climate Agreement so quickly after he became president. At the UN, Biden promised to double the amount of money (to $11 billion) that the U.S. spends each year to help poor countries cope with climate change. But can Biden sell this plan to Congress, other countries will wonder? And what form will the spending take?

But the greatest climate challenge for Biden at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November will be to persuade China and India to do much more that what they’ve already promised. These two countries generate historic levels of greenhouse gas emissions, but they’re reluctant to make the sacrifices needed to reduce them because, they like to remind us, it was the Western industrialized powers that have inflicted most damage on the environment over the past 200 years.

To meet the goal of zero net emissions by 2050 set out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), China must accelerate its emissions cuts, and India will probably have to be paid to bolster its economy as tougher climate rules are enforced. For now, there is still no legal pathway to reach that goal. Here, Biden’s bind is made much worse by memories of the Trump administration. Why, other governments can reasonably wonder, would we make painful economic sacrifices to reduce emissions when the next U.S. president might again reverse course on climate?

Transatlantic ties

Biden told the UN this week that his administration has “renewed [U.S.] engagement with the European Union, a fundamental partner in tackling the full range of significant issues facing our world today.” Yet, a number of European leaders aren’t so sure, as new flashpoints emerge in the transatlantic relationship.

First, President Biden’s chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal plan left Europe in a tough spot. In the closing days of the conflict, there were more European than America troops in Afghanistan, yet European governments were not included in the planning for either the withdrawal plan or the emergency response planning when the Afghan government began to collapse.

Next came the firestorm over the announcement last week that the U.S., Australia, and Britain had agreed to an Indo-Pacific Defense Pact, known as AUKUS. The NATO allies in Europe, particularly France, were incensed about being excluded from the arrangement and kept in the dark until it was finalized. Biden reached out directly to French President Emmanuel Macron to ease French anger.

Lastly, until this week, the U.S. had maintained a COVID-19 travel ban on international visitors, even on Europeans who were fully vaccinated. The delay in lifting that ban created plenty of ill feeling in Europe, which opened up to American visitors months ago.

Biden has demonstrated that he knows he needs to manage transatlantic relations more carefully, and Europe still needs solid relations with Washington. But Biden hasn’t yet offered Europeans the hoped-for total break with the Trump era.

China

Finally, though Biden didn’t mention AUKUS during his UN speech, he did hail “the Quad partnership among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States” which, Biden said, will “take on challenges ranging from health security to climate to emerging technologies.”

What he didn’t say is that the true purpose of the Quad partnership – and of AUKUS – is to assert the influence of the U.S. and its allies as a counterweight in Asia to expanding China. Though Biden never mentioned China by name at the UN, he did say that the U.S. is not “seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs.” But it’s hard to persuade China’s leaders that the Quad and AUKUS are not designed for exactly that purpose. Biden’s decision to continue Donald Trump’s tariffs on China and recent U.S. efforts to stunt the growth of China’s largest technology company can only further fuel the suspicions of the hawks in Beijing who argue most strongly for a confrontational approach toward Washington.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J बिग बॉस 14: सलमान का फार्महाउस, 16 प्रतिभागी, देखिए धमाकेदार लिस्ट

सलमान खान के शो बिग बॉस के नए सीज़न को लेकर काफी समय से अटकलें चल रही हैं और अब इस सीज़न को लेकर काफी खबरें बाहर आ चुकी हैं। सबसे पहली बात तो ये कि ये सीज़न सलमान खान अपने from टेलीविजन की खबरें | Television News in Hindi | TV Serials Update in Hindi – FilmiBeat Hindi http:/hindi.filmibeat.com/television/bigg-boss-14-details-salman-khan-s-panvel-farmhouse-16-contestants-see-list-090656.html?utm_source=/rss/filmibeat-hindi-television-fb.xml&utm_medium=23.11.231.151&utm_campaign=client-rss

MTA Board of Directors Welcomes Lydia So

MTA Board of Directors Welcomes Lydia So By Stephen Chun Lydia So, a championed public servant, advocate for the AAPI community and an accomplished urban planner, designer and architect, has joined the SFMTA’s Board of Directors. She was appointed in June 2023 and sworn in by Mayor London Breed on Aug. 23, 2023, at Central Subway’s Chinatown Rose Pak Station, in line with her personal connection with the Chinatown community.   So was born in Hong Kong and is fluent in Chinese (Cantonese). She is the founder of the architecture firm SOLYD Architecture, Management and Design. She is a former Historic Preservation Commissioner for the San Francisco Planning Department where she voted in favor of the Potrero Yard Modernization Project that is expected to bring hundreds of housing units to our city while maintaining the functions of the SFMTA. She was the first Chinese American Historic Preservation Commissioner, implemented the Planning Department’s Racial and Social Equity po...

SFMTA Staffers Share their Favorite SF Bike Rides

SFMTA Staffers Share their Favorite SF Bike Rides By Eillie Anzilotti Happy Bike Month, San Francisco! To celebrate, we’re sharing some of SFMTA staffers’ favorite rides through the city. From protected bike lanes to quick-build projects to Slow Streets, the JFK Promenade, and the Great Highway, all of the routes roll through projects that the SFMTA has completed in the last several years to make biking through San Francisco easier, safer, and joyful. We hope you get some inspiration for your next ride--and share your favorite route with us! For easy trip planning, we’ve included each ride below on an interactive map .   Jeffrey Tumlin, Director of Transportation: “I explore all of San Francisco by bike, but this is a standard trip: Starting from the Castro, I head up the Slow Street on Noe, where I like to admire the trees and people watch in Duboce Park. Then, I ride north on Scott to Fell Street along the Panhandle. When I reach the new JFK Promenade, it’s amazing how ...

Public Artwork Unveiled Inside New Station in Yerba Buena

Public Artwork Unveiled Inside New Station in Yerba Buena By Enrique Aguilar Have you had a chance to explore the Central Subway's new stations? Special weekend service is Saturdays and Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. midnight, through the end of the year. Ride the trains and be mesmerized by beautiful artwork at each new station.  Muni customers will encounter public art when using the four new Central Subway stations to reach their destinations. The art was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission and funded by the City’s Art Enrichment Ordinance, which allocates 2% of the total eligible costs of public works projects for public art. Public art helps draw out the identity of a space, aids in understanding a neighborhood's historical or cultural significance, and builds a connection between the visitor and surrounding community.  The Yerba Buena/Moscone Station includes artwork by Catherine Wagner, Leslie Shows and Roxy Paine. The installations can be found on th...

Get a Text, Not a Tow

Get a Text, Not a Tow By Erica Kato Today we are pleased to announce “Text Before Tow,” a first-of-its-kind program where customers can sign up to receive a text message notification prior to having their vehicle towed. This pilot program applies to four categories of tows: (1) parking more than 72-hours (2) blocked driveways (3) construction zones and (4) temporary no-parking zones such as special event or moving trucks. These categories represent 27% of all vehicles towed in 2020, approximately 12,500. It is important to note that peak-hour tow-away lanes, hazards, yellow or white zones and all other violations are not included.   To enroll a vehicle, customers need to complete a short online form to register their license plate and phone number. When a customer’s vehicle is about to be towed, they will receive a text notifying them that a tow truck has been dispatched. Note: Vehicles will still receive a citation for the violation from Parking Control Officers (...

Sunday Streets Returns October 17, with Phoenix Day

Sunday Streets Returns October 17, with Phoenix Day By Pamela Johnson For 13 years, the SFMTA and Livable City have brought "Sunday Streets" to San Francisco neighborhoods. Sunday Streets encourages communities to transform miles of car-congested streets into car-free spaces for neighbors to gather, kids to play, and for organizations and businesses to connect. On October 17, 2021, after more than 18 months of Covid-related shutdowns, Sunday Streets Phoenix Day will again bring free recreational activities, resources, and fun to the streets for tens of thousands of San Franciscans to enjoy. While Sunday Streets was celebrated in one neighborhood at a time in the past, this year's Phoenix Day spans various districts in the City for a simultaneous celebration of community, health, and resilience. This year's theme is "One City. One day. Rising together.”  Highlights this year include historic Sunday Streets SF routes, a 20+ mile community bike ride, three neighb...

Destination San Francisco: Muni Gets You to All the Sights

Destination San Francisco: Muni Gets You to All the Sights By 39 Coit servicing Coit Tower at Telegraph Hill – one of the routes that will be returning in August 2021 as part of Muni’s next service changes. San Francisco is reopening and the  SFMTA is supporting economic recovery by providing Muni access to 98% of the city.  By August 2021, a majority of our pre-COVID routes will be back in service connecting residents and visitors with world-class shopping and dining experiences, off-the-beaten-path local flare, diverse neighborhoods and almost boundless outdoor activities.  Shops, Markets & Dining in Diverse Neighborhoods  Virtually every neighborhood in San Francisco has its own boutique shopping and dining experiences, as well as unique farmers markets showcasing local shops and amenities....

How Improving Muni Also Makes Life Better for Drivers

How Improving Muni Also Makes Life Better for Drivers By Andrea Buffa Photo credit: We Ride Australia If you mostly drive to get around San Francisco, you may be wondering, “what has the SFMTA done for me lately?” San Francisco is a “ transit first ” city, so at the SFMTA we focus our resources on making it easier for San Franciscans to get around by public transit as well as by biking, walking and personal mobility device. While it may seem like adding transit lanes and protected bike lanes doesn’t have anything to do with driving, in fact, it does.  Since San Francisco doesn’t have room to give more space to roads, we have to change the way we use the limited space on our existing streets. (Not that adding more roads reduces traffic anyway – check out this article .) City Traffic Engineer Ricardo Oleo puts it this way: “When you have a city like San Francisco that was built with density in mind, having everyone drive is not a viable option. There’s not enough room to have th...

L Taraval Improvement Project Update

L Taraval Improvement Project Update By Sevilla Mann Roundtable at the Community Parklet Shares Project Updates  This past week, the SFMTA hosted a media roundtable discussing updates about the L Taraval Improvement Project at the community parklet located in front of the The Rolling Out Café  on Taraval St.   Segment B construction began in February 2022 and is scheduled to be completed Fall 2024. Sewer and water infrastructure work is currently taking place. Future work includes track work, overhead line work, the construction of new boarding islands and streetscape improvements.    On hand to answer questions and provide updates was District Four Supervisor Gordon Mar, SFMTA Board Director Sharon Lai and Director of Transportation Jefferey Tumlin.   The Roundtable  Supervisor Mar opened the discussion by highlighting the many benefits that the local community will receive with the planned infrastructure upgrades along the cor...

SFMTA Announces New Initiative to Address Safety

SFMTA Announces New Initiative to Address Safety By Kimberly Burrus SFMTA staff celebrating women’s history Safety is an absolute priority for the SFMTA. We’ve heard loud and clear that personal safety is a growing concern for the public and staff and we’ve taken a lot of steps to increase safety across our system. We also know there is much work to do to address some of the most pervasive ways harassment and violence show up in public transportation.   This April as we observe Sexual Harassment Awareness Month, the SFMTA is proud to announce that we are developing a new Safety Equity Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to reduce and eventually eliminate gender-based harassment and violence on Muni.  Gender-based harassment is one of the most widespread and persistent forms of violence. It impacts women, girls and gender-expansive people — people who don’t conform to traditional gender roles — of all ages, abilities, races, ethnicities, and cultural and langua...