The Trump Initiative That Could Help Biden on Ukraine

AMAC Exclusive – By – Ben Solis

With Russian troops poised to sweep into Ukraine at any moment, the Biden administration has insisted that this is a “crisis” moment for democracy. But as tension mounts, President Biden has failed to organize many of America’s allies and even a significant number of Americans around his effort to defend Ukraine. One reason for this might be the hangover from Biden’s Afghanistan debacle, and an unwillingness on the part of Americans and world leaders to become entangled in another foreign war. However, part of Biden’s trouble may also stem from his abandonment of the very principles which make democracy – and American democracy in particular – special, and have for centuries inspired people to defend freedom and the right to self-government around the world.

Biden’s new “reimagined” vision of democracy was on full display late last year as his State Department organized a so-called “Summit for Democracy” to “set forth an affirmative agenda for democratic renewal and to tackle the greatest threats faced by democracies today through collective action.” In reality, the Summit was little more than a paean to far-left social liberalism – hardly the sort of event that would unify democratic peoples and inspire a “renewal” of traditional democratic values.

Notably, a few leaders of democratic nations were pointedly not invited to the Summit. Among them were Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, who quickly fell out of favor with the left for signing onto Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s pro-life initiative, which affirms the sanctity of all human life and states that there is “no international right to an abortion.” Also left off the guest list was Hungarian President Viktor Orbán, whose socially conservative views have also rankled progressive-minded liberals.

Instead of focusing on traditional foundations of democracy like freedom, equality under the law, and individual liberty, Biden’s Summit for Democracy fixated on left-wing gripes with democratic systems – namely, that the left can’t just enforce its will on entire populations – and even attacked specific democratically-elected politicians.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ remarks early on set the tone for the event. Harris asserted that democracy is “on decline” and has been for the past 15 years. Why, you might ask? According to Harris, democracy is in decline because democratic leaders have failed to address things like “the climate crisis” and “misinformation” (she failed to provide a working definition of either). Harris further said that “January 6 looms large in our collective conscience,” invoking the tired left-wing scare tactic that says every person who identifies as a Republican is an existential threat to democracy.

Harris also insisted that “protecting” democracy meant passing Democrats’ federal takeover of elections bills – an action which by all accounts would only further undermine basic principles of American democracy like federalism and separation of powers.

Other world leaders piled on, insisting that it was in fact liberal progressive values which are the basis of “true” democracy. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson asserted that democracy is endangered when “reproductive rights” are threatened – in other words, when governments don’t allow abortion-on-demand. Peru’s Prime Minister called for “pressuring” private sector companies to promote more women to “decision-making” positions. While more women in senior business roles may be a worthy goal, government intervention in the hiring decisions of private companies is more in line to authoritarian rather than democratic governance.

American leaders were also quick to label their conservative opponents, and particularly former President Donald Trump, as the face of the “threat” to democracy. NAACP Legal Defense Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill argued that Trump had plunged the country into a wave of racism and denial of equal justice, ultimately leading to a democratic crisis.

Even some Republicans fueled the flames of the anti-Trump hysteria. Among them were Vermont Governor Phil Scott, who used the occasion to again raise the specter of January 6, accusing Trump of trying to “undermine… the results of a free, fair, and legal election.”

Put aside for the moment how embarrassing it is for the leading nation in the free world to put on such a self-flagellating show in front of all its friends and allies.

Underpinning the entire Summit was the idea that “collectivism” is the solution to what ails democracy, rather than the cause of it. “This is not a struggle of any one facing it alone,” Biden stated in his closing remarks. “It’s all of us… so, we have to come together and get it done.”

Unsurprisingly, Biden’s Summit for Democracy has failed to inspire the world’s nations to “come together” as one global family in some sort of socialist utopian vision. Instead, internal divisions stoked by left-wing identity politics have persisted – perhaps revealing the true threat to democracy around the world.

What Biden misses is that collectivism, abortion rights, and a disdain for certain political leaders are not a viable basis around which to organize free peoples and give them the courage to stand up to authoritarianism and real threats to democracy.

Should Biden truly want to unite democracies under a common purpose, he might begin by returning to an initiative begun by his predecessor, which he unceremoniously canceled on his first day in office: Trump’s 1776 Commission.

The 1776 Commission was established not as a partisan endeavor, but to provide a road map for Americans to understand what it is that makes their country special – namely, the principles outlined in the United States’ founding documents. This foundation rests on a shared understanding of American history and culture, and rejects modern progressive sentiments that attempt to divide people based on race or gender and paint history as the inevitable struggle of one group of people against another.

Importantly, as the authors of the 1776 Commission Report stated, “America’s principles are named at the outset to be both universal – applying to everyone – and eternal: existing for all time.” In other words, America’s principles are not just for America – they are a shining light for the rest of the world.

That is the central truth Biden’s Summit failed to capture, and why he now fails to inspire the democracies of the world to follow American leadership, whether it be in Afghanistan, Ukraine, or anywhere else on the global stage. Only with a return to the principles – and pride – which first made America great can Biden, or any leader, inspire others to follow them into battle.

Ben Solis is the pen name of an international affairs journalist, historian and researcher.