Crises? No problem - we *don't* have it under control!
Crisis management à la USA - Caution satire
Crisis management à la USA: Between helplessness and helicopter landings
US President Joe Biden, barely back from Delaware, hurried to reach the Situation Room, where he seemed to aggravate not so much the room as the situation itself. The usual suspects were already waiting in the room: Secretary of State Blinken, Pentagon chief Austin, National Security Advisor Sullivan and a handful of intelligence officials whose names need not be memorized as they are exchanged at regular intervals.
The President's serious expression, as blank as the pages of White House commentary, revealed the depth of strategic thought. "Iran has launched an airstrike on Israel," the written piece of paper said. The pledge of unwavering support for Israel's security was underscored by an immediate dispatch of the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, which steamed to the Israeli coast in an impressive rush - a sign of resolve, or perhaps just good old American showmanship.
Heroes in the skies and Republicans on the warpath
Like something out of an action movie: US fighter jets smash Iranian drones over the Syrian countryside. But exactly where remains a mystery to the stars, just like the technology behind it. Meanwhile, back home, the shadows of the political theater of war are forming. Republicans are calling for a tougher stance, Trump is blessing the Israeli people and criticizing the "incredible weakness" of the Biden administration. One wonders whether the Third World War already needs its own event planning.
#### The Big Guy and the eternal promises of election campaigns
In sunny Florida, far from the grim reality of international conflict, Trump is making plans for a triumphant return to the White House at Mar-a-Lago. Republican leaders fly in and out, Ukraine aid is debated, all under the watchful eye of comrades forging their own political survival strategies. GOP congressmen are threatening to fire their own speaker if the flow of money to Kiev isn't stopped.
Confusion and promises on the international stage
On the international stage, the US President presents himself at a dinner with the Japanese Prime Minister, where the serious issues of the world seem to be just a footnote among the culinary delights. Meanwhile, debates continue in Washington about which aid to prioritize - Israel comes first, while Ukraine and the American border will have to wait.
Conclusion: Waiting for the next solar eclipse
The US political stage is increasingly turning into a show that provides entertainment rather than effective crisis management. The next total solar eclipse may be more exciting than the next election - at least it is easier to predict. Biden and Trump, however, are putting on a performance that even the gods of chaos would applaud. The advice to the public: don't look up for too long, it could be damaging.
This is how the US government is navigating the crises of the Middle East - with a policy characterized more by theatrical gestures than clear strategies. Perhaps the real secret of American policy is simply that you should always have an aircraft carrier up your sleeve.