Biden says 'America is back'. But will his team of insiders repeat their old mistakes? | Samuel Moyn

Those pining for a return to the status quo have forgotten that US foreign policy disasters helped pave the way for Trump in the first place

The big question for the US president-elect, Joe Biden, who has taken build back better" as his motto, is whether this will mean genuine renovation or mere restoration. Americans desperately need a pivot after the madness of Donald Trump. And when Biden takes the reins of power from his predecessor, there is no doubt that a big reset will come. But the risk of complacent restoration is nowhere greater than in US foreign policy - especially since it is a domain in which the office of president has so much authority, even in the midst of legislative gridlock.

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