What Joe Biden means when he says American diplomacy is back

The vision of America's place in the world presented by Joe Biden was starkly, and predictably, different from that of Donald Trump, with a focus on undoing the damage done in the last four years as a leading role is reclaimed in the international scene.

Biden reassured allies of support, but also warned that it would not be unconditional. He put adversaries on notice, lauded international cooperation, and insisted that core liberal democratic values would be the linchpin on which US global strategy will be based on his watch.

The theme was "America is back", rather than "America First" and "Make America Great Again" of the Trump era. But, as with all slogans, it remains to be seen how that translates into reality. "America First" turned out to mean a doctrinaire turning away from multilateralism and retreat into isolationism. "Make America Great Again" sucked the nation into a quicksand of division and discord.