Talking about a “rules-based order” won’t overcome Washington’s hypocrisy problem.
U.S. President Joe Biden frequently speaks of the global contest between autocracy and democracy, but Vice President Kamala Harris prefers discussing the need to promote a “rules-based order.” If the topic of foreign policy arises at the Sept. 10 presidential debate, viewers are likely to hear about it.
People close to Harris attribute this inclination to her prosecutorial past—she appreciates the importance of rules—and to the inconvenient fact that so many U.S. allies are autocrats. But the shift in terminology won’t allow her to dodge the hypocrisy at the heart of U.S. foreign policy. Nothing crystallizes that dilemma more than Israel’s conduct in Gaza—and Washington’s ongoing and largely unconditional military support to the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive for a meeting in Washington on July 25. Roberto Schmidt / AFP
This article was written by Kenneth Roth and published by Foreign Policy on October 11, 2024. You can read the full article here foreignpolicy.com.