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By Ray Hanania

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President Joe Biden made it clear where he stands on the future of America during his rare address to the nation this past week.

Biden addressed international and domestic challenges, vowing to provide more funding and armaments to Israel in the war with Hamas, to Ukraine in the war with Russia and political support for Taiwan in the deteriorating situation with China. He said he prioritized support to support the massive migrant influx choking many American cities.

Unfortunately, Biden doesn’t convey strength. That has become the “green light” for America’s greatest enemies; Russia, China and Iran to strengthen their own world interests.

The new “Axis of Evil,” reworded as the “Evil Axis,” has stepped up its threats by strengthening BRICS, the economic alliance founded by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

As many as 40 countries are seeking BRICS membership, making it not only an economic forum but a powerful political platform that excludes the West.

Growing radicalism among dysfunctional Republicans has frozen American world dominance, fueling American political polarization.

The shift of the Arab world to BRICS is a slap in the face of the Biden administration, pushed by his weak leadership.

In the 1970s, the Arab world and its oil producing dominance shifted away from alignment with the Soviet Bloc and initiated strong relations with America and the West. But weak American leadership is fueling a reversal.

Although Biden wants to help Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, and provide support for migrants and extend the “wall” along the Mexico border to stifle illegal immigration, he can’t do it because of the political collapse of Congress caused by what would normally be a simple act to elect a Speaker of the House.

Many blame the Republicans for the dysfunction. A small handful of extremist conservatives threw the House into disarray by undermining former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

But the GOP crazies did so only because they had the backing of the Democrats. Without the Democrats supporting extremist Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, Congress would have a Speaker and could make decisions.

Until Congress elects a new speaker, Congress, the Senate and Biden are in incapable of major change. In fact, a government shutdown looms over the country. It was McCarthy’s compromise with Democrats to prevent a government shutdown that provoked Gaetz and his fellow nut jobs to oust him. Working together is now a political crime!

Ray Hanania

Anyone can be Speaker of the House. So, the names of crazies like disgraced former Congresswoman Lynn Cheney, the daughter of war criminal Dick Cheney (who orchestrated the WMD lie and war on Iraq), and former President Donald Trump have been floated as possible alternatives.

House rules prohibit the criminally indicted from holding the post. Despite Trump’s popularity in the polling, favored over the other Republican presidential contenders, Trump faces 91 indictments. His chances of conviction are extremely high.

The economy is being portrayed as strong, although that strength is wiped away by growing inflation. People are suffering because the money they make is depreciating in value.

More concerning is that the Democrats and the Republicans have forgotten about several core issues as they battle to seek selfish political empowerment.

There was nothing for seniors in Biden’s words. No one in Congress is talking about senior needs, and seniors represent a fifth of the nation’s population.

I’m sure someone will respond that Biden is boosting Social Security with a 3.2% raise.

Also ignored are the homeless. How can we extend so much concern, funding and support for migrants who illegally enter America and disappear into the heartland and yet ignore the needs of the homeless, estimated to be nearly 600,000 people who are living on the streets on America?

No one is building them homes in parks or police stations, because the homeless don’t have the political appeal that migrants have.

Well, it is a fact that the largest group of homeless in America are veterans who served this country and who are legal American citizens.

Seniors and veterans are always a constituency constantly referenced in empty public promises by national politicians, and yet they continue to be the people who get the least attention.

But until America takes care of its own, we shouldn’t be wasting our money on foreign nations that have taken so much from us and given us so little.

Hey Mr. President, Democrats and Republicans in Congress, the homeless and veterans are dying on the streets of our country, too, not just in foreign lands.

What are you going to do about that?

(Ray Hanania is a former Chicago City Hall reporter and award-winning columnist. Visit his hanania.com for more opinion.)