The Final Nail in the Coffin
How the Traditional Democrat May Have Ended the Rules-Based Order
With the midterm elections coming, our news feeds are going to be flooded with pitches to vote for someone. In the United States, trapped in a two-party system, we generally have one of two options: the donkey or the elephant. We vote people into office, hoping for something good: safer and more affordable lives for example. What actually happens? What is the final result of their term? As a registered Democrat and someone who voted for the previous face of the party in the form of Joseph Biden, I am here to remind you of the chaos of the previous four years. The bar in American politics is always changing, so much so that we sometimes forget what it used to be. Here is a reminder.1
On a recent episode of The Thinking Muslim, risk-intelligence advisor and political commentator Sami Hamdi was asked about the recent presidential election in light of the wars the United States entered since 2025, in particular with Iran. Hamdi’s response was a passionate one, asking why Muslims and those supporting the Palestinian cause miss the Zionist endorsed Democratic Party? Why do we miss the man who sold ammunition that killed Hind Rajab? Sidra? And countless others? Good question.
A book can be written about President Biden’s decisions about the Palestinian genocide. I will highlight a few points. The first that comes to mind is the pier that was constructed off the coast of one of the countless safety corridors in Gaza. The pier was a $320 million project that was meant to provide aid for Palestinians in Gaza being intentionally starved. The fact that 274 Palestinians were killed in what was called a rescue mission happened under his eye and he still did not budge says a great deal on his views of people. For him, the ends really justify the means and in this case, 274 murdered Palestinians in an instance.
In 1986, the former President stated that,
There’s no apology to be made [in defense of Israel]. None. It is the best three-billion-dollar investment we make. Whether or not an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel to protect her interests in the region. The United States would have to go out and invent an Israel.
I am unsure if this is antisemetic, where President Biden sees Israel as a tool for the United States or a passionate display of his own Zionism.
Throughout the President Biden’s oversight of the genocide, he tasked Secretary of State Antony Blinken as the peacemaker. How did that turn out? Between 2023 and 2025, the world convened in the United Nations six times. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield went a perfect 6-0 stopping action. Why? The Biden administration was adamant on being the one to bring peace. At the time of this article, 939 days have passed since October 7. 471 of those days were with President Biden. More than $20 billion were spent on war justified by Zionism, beheaded babies, rape, hospitals as Hamas’ base, UNRWA, the work schedule found by Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, and more. Most of this, if not all, were found to be false.
Why would someone miss this? I understand that people vote for the candidate that will do good for a community or particular demographic. I do not want to disregard you. Over the last 979 days, the world watched siblings carry their dead siblings and bury their parents. I have been screaming “Free Palestine” since I was 15. I am almost forty. I will stand with that statement now and always. At the same time, a free Palestine does not have to happen at the cost of no Israel. Where do you stand when your neighbor is affected by this?
Before concluding, a thought comes to mind. The current second Trump presidency calls into question the values of the Conservative Party. I understand the argument for small government. This was the case for much of Islamic history. Project 2025 pushed for this and is successful in lots of ways. (Podcast episode on this coming soon, InshAllah.) There are lots of conversations about President Trump overthrowing the rules-based order and chipping away at the Neo-liberal structure. That is true in lots of ways.
I do wonder if the Biden Administration started this. He oversaw a genocide. It was in his time that the world stood up and said enough is enough. President Biden is likely the last traditional Democrat. Will he be the final nail of the rules-based order coffin? While the Democratic Party struggles to regain its footing after the last election, Senator Sanders and Representative Cortez toured the country attracting tens of thousands of Americans. They are not the Biden type of Democrat. Will someone like them be successful in changing the political tide? I know there is a lot of uncertainty with the 2026 midterms. I do know that we will never have the same Democratic Party. Where we go from here is up to us. I know that it cannot be back to this.
I write about many things—but at the heart of it all is the question of how we live. If you’d like to explore that question together through coaching or spiritual direction, I’d be honored to walk alongside you. Find out more here. Book a session here.
I am inspired by Dr. Cornel West who wrote, Pity the Sad Legacy of Barack Obama. This critique honors the accomplishments of President Obama and still is critical.