TOPIC – Promises to keepIn his first address to a joint session of Congress, U.S. President Joe Biden made clear that his administration would continue pressing forward with promises made during his election campaign last year, including
vigorously meeting the health challenges of the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, kickstarting the engines of the U.S. economy to provide sustainable job opportunities in the digital era, and reasserting the position of his country as a driving force for democracy worldwide including pushing back on China’s aspiration to be a regional
hegemon in Asia. Mr. Biden’s first 100 days in office have been
coterminous with arguably the most
fraught times in recent U.S. history, given the devastation wreaked by the coronavirus on life and economic activity — making the U.S. the worst performer worldwide until recently surpassed on this
grim scale by India. However, the Democrat has risen to the challenge posed by the virus, when compared to his predecessor Donald Trump’s response, in terms of signing into law a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill and funnelling direct payments of $1,400 per person to more than 160 million households. Reports suggest that this shot in the arm could boost economic growth this year to 6% or higher, and revive the nearly 8.4 million jobs lost to COVID19 by 2022. Whether this will be enough to
mollify the likely anger of wealthy Americans for the tax hikes he proposes to slap them with is unclear. Yet, it is not the economy but the wounds of racist hatred that he will have to work even harder to heal. The recent conviction of the police officer responsible for the death of AfricanAmerican George Floyd represents but the first step toward bridging the chasm between prejudiced, overzealous law enforcement and racial minorities. Notwithstanding the considerable progress made by the Biden administration in domestic politics, it is in the international arena that much work remains unfinished to repair the damage wrought by his predecessor, an isolationist who prioritised transactionalism and bilateral quid pro quo over strengthening the U.S. as a global voice for plurilateral cooperation and regional engagement. Mr. Biden, contrarily, has thrown down the gauntlet to China, assuring its President Xi Jinping that Washington would continue to maintain a strong military presence in the IndoPacific “not to start conflict, but to prevent one”. Recognising the multidimensional character of Beijing’s challenge to the rulesbased international order, Mr. Biden has also vowed to stand up to “unfair” trade practices, including disallowed subsidies for Chinese stateowned enterprises and industrial
espionage, as well as speak out on perceived violations of fundamental freedoms and rights relating to, for example, Beijing’s aggression in the South China Sea and in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang region, respectively. Whether facing conservative opposition to domestic policies or
hostile pushback on the global stage from geopolitical rivals, Mr. Biden must hold fast to the values that saw him
elevated to the White House.
The Hindu Editorial Words with meanings, synonyms, and antonyms
Vigorously (adverb) – Active strength of body or mind
Synonyms – strenuously, energetically, resolutely, actively
Antonyms – slowly, sluggishly, calmly, dully, euphorically
Hegemon (noun) – A supreme leader
Synonyms – dominance, supremacy
Antonyms – bad, breach, embargo, impotence, lethargy
Coterminous (adjective) – Being of equal extent or scope
Synonyms – coextensive, contiguous, concurrent, adjacent, coeval
Antonyms – anachronistic, asynchronous, detached, different
Fraught (adjective) – Filled with something unpleasant
Synonyms – anxious, laden, replete, strained, desperate
Antonyms – empty, devoid, bare, destitute, depressed
Grim (adjective) – Very serious
Synonyms – gloomy, bleak, dreary, dismal, stern
Antonyms – bright, cheerful, compassionate, benign
Mollify (verb) – To make somebody feel less angry or upset
Synonyms – appease, pacify, placate, conciliate, assuage
Antonyms – enrage
Espionage (noun) – The act of finding out secret information about another country or organization
Synonyms – spying, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance
Antonyms – neglect, apathy, default, disregard, nonchalance
Hostile (adjective) – Having very strong feelings against somebody/something
Synonyms – unfriendly, aggressive, belligerent, bellicose
Antonyms – friendly, warmhearted, agreeable, hospitable
Elevated (verb) – To move somebody/something to a higher place or more important position
Synonyms – lofty, exalted, sublime, noble
Antonyms – outrageous, little, vile, ignoble