When Joe Biden delivered his inaugural address on January 20, he devoted only 74 words to his future foreign policy out of a total of about 2,500.
He said: "The whole world is watching us (America)" and "We will lead not only by demonstrating our power but also by the power of example. We will be reliable and strong partners for peace, progress and security."
The rest of the speech was directed to the inner arena, for the need for unity and for the war in Corona.
Needless to say, the words he uttered in January sounded hollow than ever, and no wonder he hardly repeated them in his speech on Monday, in which he tried to explain the righteousness of his journey in Afghanistan in light of the tragic circumstances.
Many see Biden as a continuation of former President Barack Obama, just because he was his deputy.
Although Obama also promised to end the war and withdraw completely by 2016, he very quickly withdrew from that idea.
Unlike Obama, Biden insisted on implementing this idea to the end no matter what.
Not only that, the Obama administration's unofficial slogan was "No Drama Obama": that is, every move will be made in the most relaxed way possible.
Even the order to eliminate bin Laden after he had already been located delayed Obama for many months.
Biden's conduct in recent days may show how reckless Biden's administration is in foreign affairs, and in fact not interested in what is going on in conflict arenas as long as they are not directly related to the US. In Tehran and Pyongyang this message certainly resonates well.
Biden gambles that the American voter is not interested in what is happening in Kabul, as he ceased to be interested in Vietnam in 1975. The two wars were the longest wars of their time.
He apparently thought that the Taliban would indeed occupy the country from the Afghan army - but estimated (hoped) that it would happen after the withdrawal.
There was also a recurring American failure: the attempt to see the situation through Western glasses.
For many in Afghanistan, the Taliban may be considered extremist and violent, but the democracy the United States has established for them has been perceived as fake, corrupt and even detached. If Biden had not been aware of this disconnect, it is no wonder that the collapse of Ghani's army came like a thunderbolt on a clear day.
Biden can accuse the Trump administration until tomorrow of being the one who reached official understandings with the Taliban and that the withdrawal is only an implementation of the agreement, but if he had devoted to foreign policy the same attention he pays to domestic affairs, it would not have happened.
Although the presidential election is far away, elections to the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate are closer than ever, and Republicans will take advantage of the weakness shown by the Kabul administration.
This week Biden managed to brand himself as "Jimmy Carter 2."
Although there are no abductions at the embassy, the humiliation he suffered at the hands of the "student" militia (the meaning of the word Taliban) will be heard well in the 2024 election broadcasts.