Farewell to a nation
Instead of taking leave in his farewell address last night, U.S. Pres. Joe Biden seemed at times to be bidding farewell to a nation on the way out. "An oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy." There is the "potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country." The free press is crumbling, he said, and the truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit. He called on Americans to stand up to the abuse of power and to guard against the concentration of power and wealth. It was a sharp contrast to the message sent on Tues. by Biden's outgoing ambassador to Prague, Bijan Sabet, who told Czech TV that the U.S. is a fantastic place to do business because of the economy, the diversity and the workforce. After last night's speech, part of Biden's legacy as president will be to leave Czech investors and others with real questions about whether the threats he identified are real and can be overcome.
Glossary of difficult words
to take (one's) leave - to say goodbye;
on the way out - becoming less popular, important, powerful, etc.;
to crumble - to break or fall apart into small fragments, esp. as part of a process of deterioration;
to smother - to suffocate;
legacy - something left or handed down by a predecessor.