Washington is still recovering from the failed insurrection, but
there are some reasons for optimism, writes one of the
country's most accomplished former diplomats.
WASHINGTON – The inauguration of Joe Biden as the
46th President of the United States had a palliative
effect on those of us who care about U.S. democracy. In the
aftermath of the January 6 insurrection in Washington – a
failed attempt to overturn an election by force – and the
brutal scene of demonstrators invading the Capitol and threatening
elected leaders, it was comforting to witness the president-elect
take the oath of office.
My wife Guisela and I watched the inauguration on television
from our home in Arlington, Virginia, only a few minutes across the
Potomac River from the Capitol. We could not attend the
inauguration in person because of the extraordinary security
measures put in place in the aftermath of the failed insurrection.
The fencing, concrete barriers, and National Guard troops
