Piers Akerman: Biden the most woke president in US history

Joe Biden has single-handedly destroyed US credibility and wasted costly political capital while Scott Morrisson needs to take his focus off the next media cycle and focus on our defence capability, writes Piers Akerman.

Joe Biden’s weak woke presidency is unmatched in US history and now we must plan for even more massive damage before he leaves office in shame.

Single-handedly he destroyed US credibility and wasted costly political capital.

But even before the medieval Taliban forces were displaying caches of modern weaponry abandoned by the best equipped military the world has seen, Biden was planning to ease restrictions on the rabid mullahs who control nuclear-ambitious Iran, and he threatened countries which didn’t endorse the UN’s global warming propaganda.

His retreat from Afghanistan – even speedier than politicians fleeing lockdown in Canberra – left allies in the lurch and freedom-loving Afghans in immediate peril.

Piers Akerman says Joe Biden has destroyed US credibility. Picture: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

Australia was part of the international security assistance force (ISAF) assembled 20 years ago, NATO forces and other nations were there too.

Biden didn’t have the courage, let alone grace, to let his major allies know he was scuttling out and leaving the country’s vulnerable – those who worked with ISAF, ethnic minorities targeted by the Taliban, the women and children liberated from the literal-reading fundamentalists and their harsh sharia law – to their fate.

Presumably there were always exit plans drawn-up by each nation but these had to be abandoned when Biden bolted.

A strong Australian prime minister would use this scandal to look beyond the immediate media cycle and focus on defence as the nation rebuilds post-Covid.

Instead of using the military as a stopgap remedy in times of Covid, bushfires and floods, a bold PM would create a civilian national service to bolster the volunteers whom the nation relies upon to meet the challenges of natural disasters. The military should not be treated as a “break glass in case of emergency” solution to everything. We have paid police emergency services and volunteers to fight fires and deal with other emergencies which the nation has been beset with in recent years

The primary role of the armed services is to fight wars. The ADF shouldn’t be regarded as a stopgap remedy.

A Taliban fighter walks past a beauty salon with images of women defaced using spray paint in Shar-e-Naw in Kabul. (Photo by Wakil KOHSAR / AFP)

A bold PM would acknowledge that we are not really a Middle Power, we are a minor power in an increasingly dangerous and isolated region.

We can’t rely on the US to protect us from China.

We should encourage a larger US presence based here and we should develop our own strategic nuclear defences given that we have more than adequate natural resources to provide the material.

Further, we should develop stronger ties with our Indo-Pacific neighbours and in the Quad alliance with India, Japan and the US.

But finally, as the disaster unfolds in Afghanistan we should not forget all of those who lost their lives in the conflict, least of all the 41 Australians.

By chance, I saw a poem last week written by former Army Lieutenant-Colonel Julian Hohnen, who lost two men to an IED during an operation near Tarin Kowt 11 years ago last Friday. We spoke about the operation and about his own health (he was medically discharged after being hit with a rare neurological condition prior to undertaking his fourth deployment two years ago (from which he is now recuperating).

He is still in touch with those he served with and is grateful for their support during his own serious health issues. Many have become firm friends.

Hohnen has written other poems and a thoughtful piece titled “Conditions of Service: Reflections on 16 years’ service in the army” based on his experience in operational service in Timor-Leste, Afghanistan, Syria, Israel and Lebanon, published in April, 2020, in the army journal The Cove.

With his permission, I’m publishing this warrior-poet’s most recent work here.

Graveyard of Empires

Recent times leave me wondering, what was it for?

It wasn’t our country, nor really our war.

Every conflict does come at a great human cost

In our time, in our money and many lives lost.

There was valour and mateship in battles we fought

I’d not think for a moment that it was for nought.

The graveyard of empires for so many years

It’s taken blood, lives, sweat and our tears.

I can’t give you comfort, and I know you may weep

So let’s look after each other, and our memories we’ll keep.