China.com commentator Li Zhi.
Entering 2024, the United States is still "dispatching police" around the world, and this "world policeman" has long been exhausted by its involvement in the Ukraine crisis and a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict. But what makes Biden even more troublesome is that there are sharp contradictions within the United States.
The Texas turmoil "escalated the contradictions between the two parties in the United States."
National Guard soldiers in Texas patrol the U.S.-Mexico border. Texas has long been plagued by illegal immigrants at the Mexican border. At the beginning of 2024, a large number of National Guard troops will be deployed at the border to completely seal the U.S.-Mexico border, while prohibiting U.S. federal law enforcement personnel from entering the border area to conduct investigations.
According to data released by the Pew Research Center in the United States, immigration ranks among the top 10 major issues in the United States. In the context of the bipartisan dispute in the United States, the closer it gets, the more hot topics will become the focus of bipartisan contention. During his four-year term, Trump, a former Republican member of the United States, issued more than 400 executive orders to shrink immigration policies and narrow the legal channels for immigrants to enter the United States. On the day of his inauguration, Biden, the current U.S. official, announced the repeal of the "strictest H-1B new rules in history" left by Trump, and restarted the original lottery system at the end of that year. Biden has repeatedly said that he will ease the immigration conflict and push Congress to introduce new immigration policies.
On the issue of immigration, the current action of Texas** is contrary to the current philosophy of the United States**. Texas, which is governed by Republicans, has a liberal and hard-line style, often attacking the Democrats and Biden on the grounds of federal inaction on the issue of illegal immigration. Texas will even use buses to transport large numbers of cross-border migrants to cities such as Chicago and New York, which are dominated by the Democratic Party. Recently, the hard-line Texas has had "head-on friction" with the federal government. On January 22, the U.S. Supreme Court voted to allow Biden** to arrange for U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Border Patrol personnel to dismantle Texas Governor Greg Abbott's blade blocking net at the U.S.-Mexico border. This caused a strong ** from Abbott and other Republicans, but there were calls among Democrats for Biden to "federalize" the Texas National Guard.
The "past of the Civil War" in the United States suddenly reappeared.
According to the US "Newsweek", Texas Governor Abbott then solemnly stated in an interview with Fox News that if Biden "federalizes" the Texas National Guard, it will be the "biggest political mistake" Biden may make. On January 24, Abbott issued a public statement criticizing Biden again, and said that according to the relevant provisions of the US Constitution, Texas has the right to "self-defense" in the event of an "invasion". Abbott also said the Texas National Guard, public safety and other agencies are taking action in accordance with the law to secure border areas.
In order to prevent the dismantling of the immigration barrier, Abbott carried out a series of deployments code-named "Lone Star", mobilizing the local National Guard to continue building and reinforcing the barrier, and even engaging in armed confrontations with federal law enforcement officers. Abbott is not "alone", and the governors of 26 U.S. states, including Montana, Alaska, and Alabama, have issued a joint statement announcing their support for Abbott.
At this point, there was an eye-popping political situation in the United States. The deadline given by the federation is January 26, and Abbott obviously doesn't care, and he even said that he is ready to conflict with the federation. On the 27th, a number of foreign media released ** showing that the Texas National Guard sent tanks and infantry vehicles to assemble at the U.S.-Mexico border. All of a sudden, the United States seemed to relive the "past of the civil war."
The infighting between the two parties has benefited politicians and suffered people.
As of now, the "Texas turmoil" is still fermenting. The timing of this "infighting" is very peculiar. This year coincides with the first year of the United States, and the Democratic Party and the Republican Party have once again staged a high-intensity struggle, and the forces of the two sides are staggered in the United States** and the states**, and they are looking for various reasons to attack each other and increase the weight of their respective parties. In this context, dissenting opinions can easily develop into major offline events.
There is a famous "separation of powers" in the political system of the United States, and in response to the Texas border blockade, both the judiciary and the executive are opposed. However, its legislative authority has taken the exact opposite decision. The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a resolution with a vote of 225:187 strongly condemning Biden's border and immigration policies. They also launched an investigation into the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, holding him accountable for dereliction of duty for the wave of illegal immigration.
In the context of the contradiction of the United States federal **, Texas feels that there is a "law to follow", and it also allows its Republican power concentration states to find an opportunity to "huddle together for warmth". In this regard, Biden has maintained a relatively restrained attitude, and has not made a clear statement except for normal administration. But Trump, another popular figure in the United States this year, has already taken advantage of the heat of this matter to make high-profile statements on various occasions. He bluntly said: "The purpose of the border protection bill promoted by Biden is not to stop illegal immigration, but to continue to invade the United States." ”
November has not yet arrived, and the bipartisan struggle in the United States has spread to all sides. Whether it is the Ukrainian crisis or the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it will be the focus of their debate. "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" has a saying, "Today's **, if you are destined to march south, then Beidi is deeply worried, and the southern soil is more and more sleepy." All kinds of statements may just be the "show" of politicians, and they will benefit from both the left and right, and eventually all events will produce a phased "full stop". But for the American people, there is only an eternal "question mark".
Editor: Jiang Xinyu and Zhang Yanling.