A breath of fresh air blows across the world after US President Joseph Biden finally took his oath of office, signalling the end to four years of chaos, bullying, consternation and for many, fear.
Donald J Trump presided over an America that increasingly isolated itself from the rest of the western world, one in which its historical allies were treated with contempt and where treaties and customs were ignored and replaced by bullying.
T&T knows only too well the behaviour of Trump, as he tried to divide CARICOM, meeting only with those regional leaders who seemed more willing to acquiesce to his views on Venezuela and not the entire leadership of the community, as has been customary since the days of George W Bush, during his tenure.
His epitaph will be one of an attempt to steal an election, inciting a riot on his own lawmakers and presiding over the deaths of over 400,000 of his compatriots to a virus that he never took seriously.
That Biden has made the fight against coronavirus and the roll-out of the vaccine his number one priority is a very important sign.
T&T, like the rest of the world, needs the US to be successful in this fight against COVID-19. It is still our largest trading partner and a successful fight against the virus will lead to growing demand and better economic prospects for the world, including this country.
Biden has also signalled by his tone and promise to unite the country, that we may yet have an America which respects the dignity of all its citizens, including the tens of thousands of T&T nationals who now call it their home.
We are also heartened by the executive orders he signed, including halting construction of Trump’s US-Mexico border wall, ending the ban on travel from some Muslim-majority countries, rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and the World Health Organisation and revoking the approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
Biden was not being verbose when he told Americans that few people in its history have been more challenged or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time they are currently in.
The 46th US President inherits an economy shattered by the pandemic, one in every four children going to bed hungry, food banks swamped by demand, millions facing homelessness and almost a hundred thousand people a day sickened by the virus.
Add to that what Biden calls this uncivil war and the legacy of four years of Trumpism stares America in its face.
Biden has a tall task but he has already made the right signals. The members of the team he has nominated to assist him and his history-making Vice President Kamala Harris are well known, competent and expected to return America to its leadership role in the world.
We are rooting for President Biden’s success because we know if he fulfils his promises, not only will he be a bridge to the future but will usher in the future of the United States.