Biden tried to sell his infrastructure plan using Cold War rhetoric and failed

Speaking Security Newsletter | Advisory Note for Organizers and Candidates, n°94 | 9 July 2021

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Situation

A Democratic congressional aide told Vox in April that “[t]he best way to enact a progressive agenda is to use China [as a] threat.” To get Republicans on board with domestic priorities, the logic goes, they’ve got to be framed in Cold War terms.

This is exactly how Biden attempted to sell his infrastructure plan. For example, during his speech in March in which he introduced the American Jobs Plan, Biden mentioned China six times and climate only once. In other words, Biden justified the required investment for his infrastructure plan in the same way he justified his massive military budget request: To compete with and eventually prevail over China.

It’s time the Biden administration admitted that that (dangerous) rhetorical strategy failed. Republicans are now criticizing Biden for not giving enough money to the Pentagon (to counter China) after spending 3 months getting Biden to cut his infrastructure plan down to a quarter of what it originally was:

Thanks for your time,

Stephen (@stephensemler; stephen@securityreform.org)

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