Joe Biden’s woke imperialism

This woke imperialism is an incredibly naive venture. Even within the US, the values that underpin the woke mission have only a limited appeal. The US is deeply divided on the issues beloved by intersectional ideologues. While woke ideology has gripped a considerable section of America’s cultural and media elites, it is unlikely to resonate with the public. During the Cold War, anti-Soviet ideology tended to unify Western publics – it was possible to draw a clear moral contrast between the two sides. Intersectional ideology, by contrast, has the opposite effect on public life. It is deeply divisive and leads to bitter polarisation.

This crusade will not endow Biden and the leaders of other Western governments with legitimacy. The claim of the Biden administration, to be on the side of the angels in a battle between democracy and autocracy, is continually called into question by America’s willingness to forge close alliances with nations like Saudi Arabia. Despite its constant moralising, Washington is forced to engage in a measure of realpolitik. As one commentator in the Financial Times observes, ‘The US will need the help of some illiberal states to prevail over Russia and China’.

As it turns out, the project of woke imperialism sits uneasily alongside the pursuit of American – or for that matter Western – geopolitical interests. Large parts of the world are positively turned off by America’s woke values and people resent being told how to lead their lives. This point was underlined last month by José Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who is president of the small Pacific island nation of East Timor. He warned that South Pacific island nations are turning towards China because of the patronising way they have been treated by Australia and the West. He pointed to the case of the Solomon Islands, which have recently forged close security ties with China. ‘Why would the Solomon Islands seek out China for support in maritime security and for the police?’, he asked, before answering his own question: ‘Maybe because the Solomon Islands’ closest neighbour, in this case Australia, has not responded to their need. Maybe their neighbour wasted time lecturing them on human rights instead of trying to help.’