Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (left) accepting the position of dictator of Rome from the Senate, undated woodcut.
© North Wind Picture Archives
Man’s Greatest Virtue:
On Sunday July 21st, the 46th President of the United States of America declared to the nation that he would not seek reelection. Joseph R. Biden Joins a very small list of leaders throughout history who exhibit mans greatest virtue. Humility. The humility to step aside and surrender power.
Joe Biden now shares commonality with some of the greatest leaders in American history. From George Washington, who was inspired by the mythos of Cincinnatus of Rome (see image); to Harry Truman to Lyndon B Johnson. Joe Biden joins these men, but only time will tell if he will be looked on as favorably.
America should not canonize Joe Biden. He is not a saint. He is a man of many, many flaws. From his botched withdrawal from Afghanistan to his inability denounce war crimes in Gaza. Joe is also seen as one of the architects of mass incarceration with the “Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.” Biden should also bear criticism for the current economic struggles as well as the chaos along the border. His moderate stances frustrated both sides of the aisle, as they should.
It should be noted that though Joe has seen his fair share of failures and missteps, there are many good things that have come from Joe Biden's political career. He famously sponsored the “Violence against Women Act.” He also became one of the first national politicians to speak favorably toward gay-marriage; an issue that, at the time, received tepid support from even the most prominent Democrats. He is the architect of the Build Back Better Plan, the Chips Act, and is the most consequential president to date on matters of climate change. Also of note is Bidens proximity to the first people of color to hold the nations highest offices.
However, Joe Biden legacy should not be simply reduced gaffes and unpopularity, or his proximity to power and moderation. Joe Biden has always been uniquely human. Shaped by personal tragedy, many who have met and worked for Joe Biden cite his empathy as one of his defining features. Between losing his first wife and daughter in a car accident to losing his first born son to cancer, there have been few among us who have suffered such tragedy. Even now Biden's political opponents regularly admonish his surviving son (however deservedly so) on national TV. Through it all Biden leans heavily on his philosophy that we are a nation of “good people.” This stands in stark contrast to his former opponent and the current Republican presidential nominee.
According to Aristotle the opposite of virtue is vice. I can think of no greater word to describe the Republican Nominee and former president Donald Trump. Trump is a cruel man. A fact well documented, despite one needing only to watch one of his “rallies” to surmise. If Biden is the human Man, Trump is the Monster. The facts and policy decisions of both men could and should be argued. The policy differences are stark, but the greatest difference comes from the fact that Joe Biden did what Donald Trump could not do… Surrender power, admit defeat, and step aside.
4 years ago I wrote an appeal for “A Last Minute Case for Joe Biden.” I still stand by my conclusion that Joe Biden was the best option forward. Biden has served his purpose as the transition candidate. It is up to us decide where that transition will lead. I still believe that we should follow those who exhibit virtues, not vice. We should follow Men, not Monsters… or rather we should, finally, follow Women.
