Biden's merit: he is not Trump

Joe Biden has won the American presidential election and is getting set to become the 47th president of the United States. Most of the world's population, barring the far-right extremist Trump fans, see this as a wish come true. The attempts of the Republican party and Donald Trump to cover up his administrative failings with hate politics and frivolity did not succeed before the American public. Although Biden had proved his lead by a record majority in popular votes, much before establishing his win in the electoral votes, Trump turned his back on reality with ridiculous objections. Even as we write this, he is mulling over moving the court. At the same time, Joe Biden's initial reactions that he recognises the factors that led to the undoing of Trump, raises optimism. It was with a clear understanding and recognition about the people's disgust with the politics of animosity and intolerance that he went on record that he would be the president of all Americans including those who voted against him.

Even as he says that his task is not to fan the flames of confrontation, but solve problems and ensure justice, the failings which he decries are the same the world had found Trump guilty of. That country and the world community are in an overall relief of seeing America's destiny having moved from the hands of a half-baked mischief maker to that of a mature veteran. As a man who has gone through the mill of poverty and suffering, Joe Biden can feel the pulse of the people better than Trump. Despite four years in the White House, Trump did not perceive administration as anything more than a reality show he is familiar with. And the legacy he leaves behind is only of playing golf, tweets and lies. In fact, the merit of merely being not a Trump was enough for Biden to win. As a Democratic party leader, he is relatively better aware of people-based politics. He should be able to easily disown Trump's racial prejudices, white racism and the politics of hate. And he does not agree with alienating the immigrant population. All the same, he is not free either from certain unfair attitudes that has dominated America as a people.

In today's US politics, no one can hold on without at least a soft version of Zionism. It was Biden's own Democratic Party who kept away from politics Bernie Sanders who has a broader and more equitable approach. And Biden is one who has declared himself as a Zionist. He is also one who had taken blame for being racist and for misogyny. It is the same political climate that had created Obama – who had no qualms about arming Israel – which has now created Biden too. While Trump had opposed the Iraq war at least in the beginning, Joe Biden is one who had supported it. And in the 1970s, as a novice in the US Senate, he had taken stances smacking of white racism. Biden is not free either from the corporate-leaning politics unavoidable in the US (and now in India); perhaps many corporates may even be fond of Biden more than Biden. In spite of all this, at least for the time being, the fact that Biden is not Trump, would suffice to give comfort about the new face in the White House. And this is also hoped to serve as a warning to the 'Trump clones' now in office in different countries of the world. Biden is also expected to introspect more fairly about the right and wrong of his stances. As he has already stated, his path of rule will not be easy. Trump has created 'disunited states of America'; therefore Biden will have a lot of wounds to heal; and has to wipe out plenty of racial-colour-religious ill-will too.

Together with this, there are myriad mistakes Biden has to correct. He had made it clear even earlier that he will retract Trump's act of pulling out of the Paris Agreement on climate . The Trump contribution in foreign affairs, as in the case of the domestic scene, is that he took racism into the mainstream. America is a country that has played a key role in the gross injustices committed by the world to the Palestinian people. Even a crucial factor that disqualified Bernie Sanders for candidacy was that he maintained sympathy towards the Palestinian nation. These are areas where Biden is going to face a test of his commitment to justice. Another of Trump's regressive moves was to withdraw from the multi-nation nuclear deal concluded with Iran. If Biden will adopt a fair and humanitarian approach to other countries, we can hope India will also stand to gain. More than the presence of Indian-origin Kamala Harris as vice president, the guarantee of this will be the fairness in actual stances towards human and civil rights. It is ultimately Biden's deeds that have to prove whether it is an alternative to or a proxy of, Donald Trump that is going to rule the US.