In his farewell speech from the Oval Office, US President Joe Biden spoke what will probably be the last truthful words to emerge from that place for at least the next four years.
After trumpeting the ceasefire agreement in the conflict which blighted his presidency, and has cost the lives of at least 46,000 people, Biden described the dangers now facing the United States and the wider world, including the growing concentration of wealth and power, the lack of democratic control over new technology, the collapse of a free and independent press, and the urgent need for action on climate change.
Unfortunately, as with Dwight D. Eisenhower’s speech in 1961, in which the outgoing president warned of the corrupting influence of the rising military-industrial complex, the horse and all the other proverbial animals appear to have long-since bolted, leaving only a filthy stable.
As a former general, Eisenhower knew what he was talking about. Joe Biden, likewise, has been part of the machinery of government for over fifty years. For both men, at the moments they were freed from the burden of leadership, their final words were carefully chosen.
Liberty
Joe Biden spoke about the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France representing ‘the very idea of America’, built not by one individual but by many people from every background and from around the world.
‘Like America, the Statue of Liberty is not standing still. Her foot steps forward atop a broken chain of human bondage. She’s on the march, and she literally moves.
‘She’s built to sway back and forth to withstand the fury of stormy weather, to stand the test of time, because storms are always coming. She sways a few inches, but she never falls into the current below.’
He then described America as ‘the most powerful idea ever in the history of the world’, with equal opportunities for all as its bedrock. While acknowledging the imperfections in the US system of government, Biden said, ‘it’s maintained our democracy for nearly 250 years, longer than any other nation in history that’s ever tried such a bold experiment.’
The outgoing president spoke about the achievements of his administration, in the face of unprecedented challenges. ‘It will take time to feel the full impact of all we’ve done together, but the seeds are planted and they’ll grow and they’ll bloom for decades to come…
‘I’m so proud of how much we’ve accomplished together for the American people, and I wish the incoming administration success, because I want America to succeed.’
But…
Joe Biden next moved on to the things that gave him ‘great concern’, particularly a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people.
‘Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.
‘We see the consequences all across America, and we’ve seen it before, more than a century ago, but the American people stood up to the robber barons back then and busted the trust. They didn’t punish the wealthy, just made the wealthy play by the rules, like everybody else had to.’
He talked about the ‘existential threat of climate change’, with clear impacts from California to North Carolina. ‘That’s why I signed the most significant climate and clean energy law ever… we’ve proven we don’t have to choose between protecting the environment and growing the economy. We’re doing both.’
Biden spoke about powerful forces seeking to abandon climate action in order to serve their own interests for power and profit. ‘We must not be bullied into sacrificing the future, the future of our children and our grandchildren.
President Biden then quoted Eisenhower directly: ‘He warned us about “the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power”.
‘Six days, six decades later, I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country.’
Free press crumbling
‘Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power,’ Biden said.
‘The free press is crumbling. Editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit…
‘Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is the most consequential technology of our time, perhaps of all time, nothing offers more profound possibilities and risks for our economy and our security, our society.’ He spoke about the importance of not ceding control of AI development to billionaires and hostile states.
Biden went on to talk about making the tax system fairer, getting dark money out of politics, creating term limits for justices on the Supreme Court, and banning members of Congress from trading stock while they’re supposedly working for the American people.
The well-overdue wish list ended with a call to amend the constitution to make clear that no president is immune from crimes committed while in office. ‘The president’s power is not unlimited. It’s not absolute, and it shouldn’t be,’ he said.
‘In a democracy, there’s another danger to the concentration of power and wealth. It erodes a sense of unity and common purpose. It causes distrust and division. Participating in our democracy becomes exhausting and even disillusioning, and people don’t feel like they have a fair shot.
‘We have to stay engaged in the process. I know it’s frustrating. A fair shot is what makes America America.’
Alas, the idea of a fair shot appears to be consigned to the history books now, along with a few other things that once made America great. Perhaps if Bernie Sanders had been given a fair shot in the Democratic primaries back in 2020 things would be different?
President Biden closed by urging all Americans to stand guard in his place, and become keepers of the flame of liberty. From this perspective though, sadly, that flame appears to have been snuffed out some time ago, even as other flames burn ever higher.
Originally from Canberra, David Lowe is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and photographer with particular interests in the environment and politics. He’s known for his campaigning work with Cloudcatcher Media.
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