The United States, President Joe Biden has said over and over again, wants to "compete" with China from a position of strength. That strength is said to be composed of “better” America's rebuilding, working with allies, and regaining credibility and moral authority. A sensible program - not only if one accepts the confrontation with the Chinese rival as an overarching leitmotif. But at the moment a sharp wind is blowing Biden's face; the optimism of the first six months has evaporated. He's under massive pressure. The big projects are approaching dangerously the zone over which the word failure is emblazoned.

The approval of Biden's administration is not particularly high; at the same time, only Gerald Ford and Donald Trump's popularity ratings were worse. That is not consoling. The major legislative proposals, the infrastructure package and the social and climate protection package, are stuck in Congress. Resistance comes from the Republicans; it is partly ideological and tactical-political, partly budgetary. That was clear; Biden's gesture of impartiality will not change that much. However, the plans are also rejected by centrist democrats, for whom the expansion of the welfare state goes too far and is too expensive. If Biden comes to meet these people - essentially two senators - and slim down, he brings the progressive wing of the party against him.With the tight majority, every vote counts.

France is angry

The governor of Texas has made it clear how far the Republicans are pushing their opposition role.

Greg Abbott has issued a regulation prohibiting companies from requiring employees to have a corona vaccination or testing.

The federal government wants to make this mandatory.

Texas is also the state that has taken the culture war on abortion to extremes and restricted the exercise of the right to vote;

Democratic voters in particular are affected by this.

So the splitting goes on.

Allies and partners are not impressed by the way Biden ended his engagement in Afghanistan. In any case, America's credibility has not been given a boost. France is angry because it sees itself as a victim of the Australian-American-British security pact. Tension has risen around Taiwan since Beijing increased its military intimidation. Consequence: The Taiwanese leadership calls for assistance. The country is still in the pandemic. The economy is suffering from the consequences of the clogging of the supply chains.

Politically, many are already looking ahead to the next year's congressional elections.

There is a good chance that the Republicans will retake Congress, at least one chamber.

Barack Obama and Trump suffered a comparable loss of power after the first midterm election.

If that happened to Biden, his presidency would implode.

Would-be trumps are getting into position for 2024.

The former president himself continues to babble about "stolen election victory" and fertilizes the field of hatred against Biden and the Democrats.

Model America?