By Dr. Gary L. Deel
Faculty Director, Dr. Wallace E. Boston School of Business, American Public University
Note: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal views of the author. They are not intended to in any way to represent the official political positions or views of American Public University System or any of its subsidiaries.
Last weekend marked the first full month of Joe Biden’s presidency, and the most startling thing about that milestone for me was that I nearly forgot all about it. When it dawned on me recently that we are now nearly a month into the new administration, it caused me to reflect on how drastically news headlines and accompanying public anxiety surrounding national politics have changed since the change of administrations last month.
The quiet is deafening. And, speaking for myself, I thought it would be worth enumerating the different ways in which it’s most welcome.
No longer do I wake up to divisive rhetoric from the White House, pursuing a relentless agenda of “us versus them” politics.
No longer do I read stories about how our President has threatened military action against major world adversaries and pushed us to the brink of nuclear war.
No longer do I see reports of our Commander-in-Chief taking the word of violent despots over the patriotic work of the United States intelligence community.
No longer do I watch our nation’s leader making a full-time job out of dishonesty — over stupid matters such as the size of an inauguration crowd or the weather, and over the most critical issues such as the prognosis of a global pandemic or whether our national elections are legitimate.
No longer do I sigh in exhaustion as that same leader first denies the lies, doubles down on them, and then attempts to distract from them with whataboutisms and accusations of conspiratorial misinformation from the media.
No longer do I scratch my head in confusion and disbelief at the mental contortions of his enablers as they routinely twist themselves into human pretzels in order to resist reality.
No longer do I hang my head in shame as our country turns its back on its oldest and most faithful allies.
No longer do I blush in embarrassment as our nation rejects science and abandons its commitments to combating the existential threat of climate change.
No longer do I seethe in anger as the most powerful figure in the nation gives deference and legitimacy to white nationalist hate groups, neo-Nazis, and terrorist organizations.
No longer do I cringe as the land of the free actively rolls back rights for at-risk groups with measures of prejudice such as the ban on military service for transgender persons.
No longer do I mourn as the home of the brave cowers in fear and paranoia over the thought of allowing refugees of world catastrophes, desperately seeking a better life, to come into our country and join our society.
No longer do I worry that an aspiring dictator and his supporters might possibly succeed in overthrowing our democracy in the name of a regressive, populist agenda.
No longer do I dread that a poorly worded or nefariously motivated tweet in the middle of the night might stoke the flames and worsen any number of these sad circumstances.
No longer do I wonder if the United States is still a beacon for good in the world.
No longer do I fear the future America that my children might have to one day endure.
To be absolutely clear, Joe Biden is neither a perfect President nor a perfect person. He wasn’t even my first choice for the Democratic nomination. Biden has plenty to atone for over a very long political career that carries a lot of baggage.
But one thing is absolutely apparent to me. For all his faults and misgivings, President Biden is a man with exponentially greater reverence than his predecessor for the virtues of honesty, integrity, intelligence, dignity, and decency.
In just one month, Biden’s calm hand at the helm — his poise and moral leadership — has restored the government of the most powerful nation on Earth from a daily dumpster fire of chaotic headlines and misinformation to the boring and unsensational machine of stable leadership that it should be.
The words and actions of the White House are absolutely pivotal to the well-being of our nation and the world at large. These affairs aren’t usually exciting or provocative, nor should they be.
It’s a government, not a reality television show. This is not a game. This is our global society, and the stakes could not be higher.
So say what you will about the shortcomings of our new President. I will gladly join you in criticizing him when doing so is justified and fair. But if nothing else comes of the Joe Biden administration, I for one am immensely grateful for all of the unbearable news I’m no longer hearing and for all the sleep I’m able to get once again.
About the Author
Dr. Gary Deel is a Faculty Director with the School of Business at American Public University. He holds a J.D. in Law and a Ph.D. in Hospitality/Business Management. Gary teaches human resources and employment law classes for American Public University, the University of Central Florida, Colorado State University and others.
