Can Biden bounce back at UNGA 2021?
1 00:00:00,390 –> 00:00:06,360 >> As we strive to do these urgent challenges whether they’re long standing or newly emerging must 2 00:00:06,360 –> 00:00:14,460 also deal with one another. 3 00:00:16,170 –> 00:00:21,570 >> In recent months Joe Biden has been on rocky ground with allies around the 4 00:00:21,570 –> 00:00:27,360 world. This week he went to address the United Nations General Assembly to answer questions 5 00:00:27,360 –> 00:00:32,850 about what many critics around the world see as disappointments when it comes to his 6 00:00:32,850 –> 00:00:39,090 policies on Afghanistan covered climate policy and that U.S. Australia 7 00:00:39,090 –> 00:00:44,580 nuclear sub deal. To help us break down Joe Biden’s big week in New York 8 00:00:44,580 –> 00:00:50,040 at UNGA We have Ryan Heath the host and author 9 00:00:50,040 –> 00:00:55,710 of Global insider one word how would you describe UNGA this 10 00:00:55,710 –> 00:00:56,250 year. 11 00:00:57,140 –> 00:01:02,330 >> Chaotic. This is not the context I think we would have predicted that Joe Biden would 12 00:01:02,330 –> 00:01:07,790 be addressing the U.N. a set of swirling international crises and 13 00:01:07,790 –> 00:01:12,920 skepticism from his from America’s closest allies. Tell us 14 00:01:12,920 –> 00:01:18,320 what were the expectations from leaders around the world and 15 00:01:18,320 –> 00:01:21,730 what they wanted to see from Biden and what he needed to do. 16 00:01:21,740 –> 00:01:27,740 >> The thing about the U.N. General Assembly is it’s not just the place for the big powers like the G7 or 17 00:01:27,740 –> 00:01:33,200 the G 20 the whole world comes here. So a lot of small countries all of the poorest and 18 00:01:33,200 –> 00:01:38,390 most vulnerable countries are there and they really feel burdened by the rich countries at 19 00:01:38,390 –> 00:01:44,330 the moment because they feel the effects of climate change and cover. There’s clearly not 20 00:01:44,330 –> 00:01:46,190 an equal vaccine rollout. 21 00:01:46,400 –> 00:01:52,010 >> Joe Biden has some nice words to say on both of these issues. We are fixing our eyes. 22 00:01:52,750 –> 00:01:58,640 >> On devoting our resources to the challenges and hold the keys to our collective future ending 23 00:01:58,640 –> 00:02:00,360 this pandemic. 24 00:02:00,470 –> 00:02:05,960 >> Addressing the climate crisis but and these countries buy U.S. made vaccines on 25 00:02:05,960 –> 00:02:11,570 an open market. No they have to rely on U.S. charity because there is an export breakdown for 26 00:02:11,570 –> 00:02:16,860 us. What he had to say there was any of any substance in the in 27 00:02:16,860 –> 00:02:22,130 the Tuesday speech he comes and talks about the importance of engaging deeply and 28 00:02:22,130 –> 00:02:27,770 that even when you’ve got potential conflict or problem with another a major power like China you’ve 29 00:02:27,770 –> 00:02:29,040 got to keep talking. 30 00:02:29,060 –> 00:02:34,540 >> We’ve ended 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan and as we close this 31 00:02:34,540 –> 00:02:39,000 period of relentless war we’re opening a new era of relentless diplomacy. 32 00:02:38,990 –> 00:02:44,230 >> And he did come and say that he would lift the European travel ban have been in 33 00:02:44,230 –> 00:02:45,580 place for the last 18 months. 34 00:02:45,610 –> 00:02:50,950 >> But I was talking with European diplomats last night and they said well what that’s supposed 35 00:02:50,950 –> 00:02:56,320 to be a win from the French humiliation looming over this of course is that rift with France dealing with 36 00:02:56,320 –> 00:03:02,260 the submarine deal that scuttled France’s 66 billion dollar deal for does diesel submarines 37 00:03:02,260 –> 00:03:03,100 for Australia. 38 00:03:03,100 –> 00:03:08,670 >> We’ve got to talk a little bit about France. How is this this being discussed. 39 00:03:08,680 –> 00:03:13,840 >> I think it says that democracies are not on the same page regarding China and 40 00:03:13,840 –> 00:03:19,300 Australia was pressed to take a side and it took its side the symbol of that is choosing 41 00:03:19,300 –> 00:03:24,550 to do this nuclear submarine deal. And now other European allies are going to be pushed to 42 00:03:24,550 –> 00:03:30,100 make the same sort of decision basically. So I don’t think it’s so much about the French tantrum about 43 00:03:30,100 –> 00:03:35,500 how is this sort of working to contain China going to 44 00:03:35,500 –> 00:03:36,510 unfold. 45 00:03:36,520 –> 00:03:42,780 >> He previewed some additional aid regarding covered 46 00:03:42,780 –> 00:03:48,340 will that take care of the criticism that the United States is being far too stingy when it comes to 47 00:03:48,340 –> 00:03:53,860 getting this vaccine to people who haven’t had a first shot. Well we’re on our third 48 00:03:53,860 –> 00:03:54,740 booster shot. 49 00:03:54,760 –> 00:04:00,370 >> The medical reality is that there’s no point having people in the US losing their immunity 50 00:04:00,370 –> 00:04:05,830 . That’s supplying needs to increase in general. So the promise to send a few more doses isn’t going to 51 00:04:05,830 –> 00:04:11,050 crack that nut these big countries including you playing at the edges instead of really going big and 52 00:04:11,050 –> 00:04:16,300 going hard or using the Defense Production Gulf completely ramp up the production of these 53 00:04:16,300 –> 00:04:16,870 things. 54 00:04:16,870 –> 00:04:22,540 >> There were a lot of conversations Biden mentioned in his speech regarding aggressive climate goals 55 00:04:22,540 –> 00:04:28,110 but there’s also a sense that things are not going in the right direction. 56 00:04:28,120 –> 00:04:33,790 >> Most countries really do agree that America is now pointing in the right direction. But now 57 00:04:33,790 –> 00:04:39,100 there are these big net zero visions for 2050 but we can’t 58 00:04:39,100 –> 00:04:41,880 wait to 2050 to make those deep cuts. 59 00:04:41,890 –> 00:04:47,740 >> I can’t help but notice on the same day Biden is up in New York talking about his aggressive climate goal 60 00:04:47,740 –> 00:04:53,590 in the Senate coal state Democrat Joe Manchin is still opposing 61 00:04:53,590 –> 00:04:58,850 the main tool that the Biden administration wants to pass into law to you 62 00:04:58,850 –> 00:05:04,210 know move utility companies to use more clean energy unless Congress is 63 00:05:04,210 –> 00:05:05,130 willing to buy it. 64 00:05:05,140 –> 00:05:10,690 >> Why would these smaller economies say Hey we’re gonna make these huge cuts and then actually just find out that America 65 00:05:10,690 –> 00:05:16,200 and China didn’t do the heavy lifting and we wrecked our economy. Well you kept making the 66 00:05:16,200 –> 00:05:16,570 money. 67 00:05:16,600 –> 00:05:22,450 >> So there’s a there’s just a big gap between our rhetoric on the world stage and 68 00:05:22,450 –> 00:05:27,990 what Biden so far has been able to accomplish in 69 00:05:27,990 –> 00:05:28,880 Washington. 70 00:05:28,930 –> 00:05:34,300 >> The people at UNGA it’s very clear to them that there’s a huge gap between what John Kerry says 71 00:05:34,300 –> 00:05:39,820 when he jumps on a plane to visit them and what comes out of the sausage making machine in Congress on 72 00:05:39,820 –> 00:05:40,990 Afghanistan. 73 00:05:40,990 –> 00:05:46,480 >> There’s obviously been a lot of talk about our closest allies being frustrated with 74 00:05:46,480 –> 00:05:52,330 what a mess it was and how allies felt that the communication was lacking 75 00:05:52,330 –> 00:05:58,000 to say the least but the drone strike that the Pentagon admitted to recently. 76 00:05:58,000 –> 00:06:01,210 How has that issue come up. 77 00:06:01,210 –> 00:06:06,490 >> So far it hasn’t been a factor in any of the conversations that I’ve been having. I think people are 78 00:06:06,490 –> 00:06:12,100 realistic about that sort of stuff was going on frequently and probably from many different angles in Afghanistan. 79 00:06:12,100 –> 00:06:17,410 In general I think a lot of allies felt dragged into that war on 80 00:06:17,410 –> 00:06:17,810 terror. 81 00:06:17,850 –> 00:06:23,530 >> But I think there’s a sigh of relief that that that’s over a year from now how will we know 82 00:06:23,530 –> 00:06:26,560 that Biden has truly overcome this. 83 00:06:26,560 –> 00:06:31,750 >> I think the two big crises are pretty clear. It’s covered and climate change and 84 00:06:31,750 –> 00:06:37,000 the metrics are also quite clear either emissions are going down or they’re going up and the world has 85 00:06:37,000 –> 00:06:42,400 not been good at cutting those emissions. And then on covered either Africa has 86 00:06:42,400 –> 00:06:47,670 4 percent vaccination rates or it’s got something like 50 or 60 or 70 percent vaccination rate. 87 00:06:47,670 –> 00:06:52,360 They may not be as high as the US but the gap now is ridiculous. 88 00:06:52,430 –> 00:06:57,910 >> So either it’s a small gap or it’s a big gap. So basically these emissions have to go down and the gap between 89 00:06:57,910 –> 00:07:03,090 America and Africa has to be much smaller uncovered and it would be pretty clear whether that happened or no.
