Albright: Joe Biden will restore America’s stature in the world | Opinion

American foreign policy under President Trump has been defined by a relentless effort to dismantle the global system of problem solving that the United States helped create after World War II. Since the day he took office, Trump has abandoned vital diplomatic agreements, insulted allies and hurt our ability to work with other nations to address common threats.

At home, Trump has put our governing institutions at risk by undermining Congress, the courts and his own federal agencies. He has disregarded science and twisted facts to suit his political agenda, while demonstrating an open disdain for democratic values.

With the spread of COVID-19, the folly of this approach is growing more apparent. While there is still time for the United States to rally the world to adopt a coordinated and decisive response to the virus, there is little evidence that the Trump administration is up to the task. My greater hope lies with the American people, who have the opportunity this year to restore leadership, honor and decency to the White House.

There has been a vigorous debate among Democrats over which candidate is best positioned to defeat President Trump this November and to lead the country in his wake. I believe the answer is Joe Biden.

I have been privileged to know Joe for many years. I know his record of accomplishment on domestic issues such as healthcare, but I am even more familiar with his views on international affairs. When I served as America’s ambassador to the United Nations and secretary of State, he was one of the Senate’s leading voices on foreign policy, and his instincts on diplomacy often mirrored and reinforced my own.

At the time, one of the most challenging situations America faced was in the Balkans, where the country of Bosnia was being ripped apart by aggression; women were being systematically raped; children were being killed by snipers; and whole villages were being ethnically cleansed.

Instead of acting, the world community had tied itself into knots.

One of the few people who stood up and said, “This is wrong,” was then-Sen. Joe Biden. He said, “Let us put power on the side of justice. Let us put an end to the hate and violence. Let us create a new Europe and a new century in which bigotry and ethnic cleansing have no place.”

Joe Biden’s leadership on Bosnia was exceptional, but it was also no exception.

In that moment, I saw the measure of a man who throughout his career has said what needed to be said, regardless of whether people of power wanted to hear it.

As a senator, he fought to ensure that our diplomats and service members had what they needed to succeed in their missions, leading the effort to procure life-saving mine-resistant vehicles for our troops in Iraq.

As vice president, he secured ratification of a landmark nuclear arms treaty with Russia, strengthened relations across the Western hemisphere, and helped bring China into a major international climate agreement.

Throughout his career, Joe Biden has fiercely defended America’s interests, but he has also understood that our interests cannot be protected if we sacrifice our values. He is not among those who will make excuses for dictators in Cuba, Russia or anywhere else. He is also a stalwart defender of U.S. allies, including Israel.

His vision will be absolutely essential in the years ahead, for there is hardly a major challenge in the world today that does not require countries to work together.

On issues from preventing disease to strengthening democracy, and from combating illegal narcotics to securing fair deals on trade, Biden will foster that cooperation. He will lead with others, and he will tap every source of America’s strength.

Two years ago, I sat in an audience of world leaders at a security conference in Germany where the former vice president was speaking. To thunderous applause, Biden told these leaders that, “The American people understand that it’s only by working in cooperation with our friends that we are going to be able to harness the forces of a rapidly changing world, to mitigate their downsides and turn them to our collective advantage.”

Biden will be ready on Day One to lead as our commander in chief. That’s why Barack Obama chose him as his vice president. Biden has the energy, the experience and the moral courage that our nation deserves and the future demands.

I am confident Americans will support him because we want a leader who will make us proud again. We want an America that is respected around the world, not simply for what we possess, but also for what we believe.

We want an America whose word is trusted; whose ideals lift people up; whose actions inspire all who love liberty; and whose president brings people together rather than driving them apart.

This November, we can become one country again, but only if we participate in our democratic process. My hope is that independents, members of both parties and a multitude of first-time voters will do just that. We all have a part to play, and I pledge to do mine by vigorously supporting the candidacy of Joe Biden.

Madeleine K. Albright was U.S. secretary of State from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton.

This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 6:30 PM.