Andreas Kluth, in an article on Bloomberg, observes that even if the much-needed aid bill passes, it is hard to decide whether to laugh or cry at what Congress and America have become.
Kluth says that the last six months of unfolding events at the US Capitol have been something of a tragicomic experience. Symptoms of a late-stage former superpower in chaotic decline.
“Several times in those months, during which the world around Congress changed so much and mostly for the worse, hopes rose that America might resolve this governance crisis, allowing it to make friends from Ukraine to Israel and Taiwan stronger and the whole world a little bit safer. But each time such hopes were dashed, and the mess only got messier.”
Tensions are especially high as Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, plans to introduce four bills Saturday night that could finally provide aid to these American allies.
“Ukraine was already in the second year of its heroic self-defense against Russian President Vladimir Putin, and in dire need of more weapons, ammo and cash. But House Republicans were also at war – with one another. One faction, beholden to former and perhaps future president Donald Trump and confused by Russian disinformation, had grown skeptical of helping Ukraine. These extremists rebelled and ousted their own Speaker. It took weeks for the party and House to pluck a new leader out of obscurity. Voila, Johnson.”
The Biden administration has since struggled with its intentions, especially with regard to Ukraine aid. Biden is trying to get congressional approval for a $60 billion military aid package to Ukraine, which Republican candidate Donald Trump publicly opposed before the November presidential election. Many see the impasse as a harbinger of how US policy toward Kiev will change under a Trump presidency.
“Every day of delay in the decision of the United States in providing more support to Ukraine has consequences on the battlefield,” Biden said.
Then – 7 October 2023: Hamas attacked Israel, setting off one of the largest conflicts ever, killing some 35,000 civilians. As a consequence, the crisis in Eastern Europe was joined by a new conflict, previously thought to be dormant but now threatening to escalate into a regional war between Iran and the US, which is already demonstrating undeniable power and threat against Israel. Earlier, on 14 April, Iran launched a massive retaliatory attack on Israel that risks sparking a regional conflict involving US military forces. The operation engaged over 300 missiles and drones.
Other clashes have erupted in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, where China continues to intimidate America’s allies. In addition to China, a close northern ally, North Korea, is also building up its power.
On top of all this, but no less serious, the migration crisis continued to unfold on America’s border with Mexico. Aid to Ukraine was stalled not because of anything, but precisely because of domestic problems that the US is unable to solve under the Joe Biden.
The country’s founders would like the White House and Congress to discuss and then act on each of these separate problems separately. But today’s polarisation won’t allow that.
“So President Joe Biden bundled all these problems into one package, which he sent as a supplemental budget request to Congress on Oct. 20. He asked for about $61 billion in aid to Kyiv (much of it in the form of money to American companies so they can replenish US ammo sent to Ukraine), as well as dollops for Israel, Taiwan, border control and more. Everyone in Congress could find something to hate, but also something to love.”
The attempt at balance and compromise has further sown discord and resentment on the part of Republicans in Congress. As many of their conditions on border security were met, they raised their demands. For a moment it seemed that the US, in its attempt to restore world order, would also face a migration crisis as a by-product.
The House of Representatives resisted and began threatening to remove Johnson in the same way they had kicked out his predecessor. But Johnson, despite his deference to Trump, has by now realised that Ukraine is on the verge of defeat and Israel could also use some help now that it is depleting its air defences against Iran faster than expected.
So Johnson has split the package again and wants to get the House of Representatives to take action on Saturday. To get that vote using arcane House rules, he would demand help from Democrats. Lawmakers could also turn some Ukrainian money into loans, seize frozen Russian assets, impose new sanctions on Iran and increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Throughout most of the past seven decades, the United States has been at least reasonable, decisive and sufficiently united to appease its friends and contain its enemies, thereby maintaining a modicum of world order.
“That era now seems bygone. I pray that Congress passes the aid to Ukraine. Even in the best scenario, though, it’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry at what Congress and America have become. My guess is that they’re crying in Kyiv, and laughing in Moscow and Beijing.”
