What Joe Biden’s State of the Union Speech Didn’t Mention

When assessing State of the Union speeches, what isn’t mentioned might be simply as fascinating as what’s. 

Throughout his speech final evening, President Joe Biden didn’t point out how the struggle in Ukraine is ever going to finish. He didn’t point out U.S. service member deaths since Hamas’s October 7 assault (together with three U.S. troops killed by an assault drone in Jordan and two Navy SEALs who died throughout a mission to interdict a ship carrying weapons to Yemen). He didn’t speak in regards to the 170 assaults on U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq since Israel’s struggle in Gaza started, the 1000’s of U.S. troops stationed in those self same nations, plus Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Djibouti, and even in small numbers, in Lebanon and Egypt. He didn’t deal with the forces in central Asia and Pakistan nonetheless overseeing an over-the-horizon struggle in Afghanistan. He didn’t speak about U.S. navy assist to Israel, or Benjamin Netanyahu, or how the USA plans to make use of its affect to result in an finish to the battle.

Biden didn’t point out the creeping surveillance state, or his latest affirmation of the NSA’s spying powers by pushing for the reauthorization of part 702 of the International Intelligence Surveillance Act. He didn’t communicate of upcoming will increase within the navy, intelligence, and homeland safety budgets or justify why greater than $2 trillion is now wanted. He didn’t speak in regards to the administration’s laser deal with home terrorism and extremism or tips on how to pursue threats of violence and illegality whereas preserving the general public’s proper to privateness and free speech. He didn’t communicate to the alleged nationwide safety menace posed by TikTok or the White Home’s help for laws that can attempt to ban the powerhouse social media app. He didn’t point out the rising risks of struggle in area (or the area race now underway). He didn’t speak about alarming developments like autonomous weapons, robots, and drone armies, all of which by AI already threaten to alter the very nature of warfare. And naturally, not a phrase was mentioned about nuclear arms management or any packages looking for disarmament.

At a time when the U.S. is nearer to struggle with Iran than it has been in a long time, Biden made only one reference to the nation: “Creating stability within the Center East additionally means containing the menace posed by Iran.”

Biden didn’t elaborate on what he means by containment: the large-scale U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s pals and proxies in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. The administration has gone to nice lengths to minimize the rising tensions with Iran.

“We’re not at struggle within the Center East,” Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder mentioned in January as U.S. bombs have been dropping within the area. “We at present assess that the combat between Israel and Hamas stays contained in Gaza.”

However the Iran-aligned teams warring with the U.S. have immediately cited the struggle in Gaza as a motivating issue, together with the Iraqi militant group that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan this January, as The Intercept beforehand reported.

Biden did point out that he “ordered strikes to degrade Houthi capabilities and defend U.S. Forces within the area.” However he didn’t clarify why, in spite of everything these years, U.S. forces stay within the area, or how lengthy they are going to keep or what’s the endgame — particularly when the nationwide safety group claims that it’s shifting its consideration to Russia and China.

The presence of U.S. forces and bases all through a area is a vital reality as a result of the Biden administration justifies its airstrikes, together with these on Houthi targets in Yemen, as self-defense, circumventing the necessity for congressional struggle powers authorization. The transfer has rankled members of Congress and led to inside debate amongst Biden’s personal nationwide safety attorneys. However there’s no signal Biden has ever contemplated that the U.S. presence is itself an irritant that contributes to escalation.

When the Biden administration was requested throughout a Senate listening to on February 27 if there was any historic precedent for Operation Prosperity Guardian, the Pentagon’s identify for the U.S.-led navy coalition fashioned to answer Houthi assaults on ships within the Purple Sea, a prime administration official was stumped.

“Senator, I’d need to defer to colleagues to search out the historic precedent for that,” Daniel Shapiro, deputy assistant secretary of protection for the Center East, instructed Sen. Todd Younger, R-Ind.

Regardless of all the real threats that weren’t talked about, the speech nonetheless had a wholesome dose of fearmongering, with Biden saying our democracy is going through larger peril than any level because the Civil Conflict.

“Not since President Lincoln and the Civil Conflict have freedom and democracy been below assault right here at dwelling as they’re in the present day.”