With swiftness that no one expected, the Taliban marches towards Kabul. Its residents are very afraid about what the arrival of a war at their doorstep means. Explosions, clashes, and general violence is one thing but a war with its total uncertainty about life and death is a whole new ball game. The West led by the US had never expected this scenario believing that they had an agreement. On top of that they had spent billions to build up the Afghan army which would be able to withstand any Taliban assault. As events show, almost all its calculations were wrong. It’s the one power of the three –US, Russia and China- who increasingly matters the least in a zone where they only wanted to matter.
The rise of the decline
This is the first massive defeat after the Vietnam debacle which first awakened the world to the decline of the West. There were several factors that contributed to it but one thing is clear: days of sustaining imperial wars far away from its shores are now out of date. The West’s victorious armada keeps sinking every time it confronts pesky little enemies, whether it’s the Viet Cong or the Taliban.
The West led by the US was very happy when the USSR-Soviet Union – fell and the world spawned an entire gloating industry. A typical example is the book, “The End of History” by US author Francis Fukyama who happily argued that the Marxist “history” argument had come to an end. The talk was of “peace dividend” and how a new world order led by the US with socialism missing was about to emerge. Poor fellow, no one quotes him anymore.
The West/USA’s next enemy was “Islamic terror” which sadly for the US was triggered by the funding of such groups in Soviet occupied Afghanistan. Osama Laden was one of the love boys of the West till he bombed NY. The next phase of war began including the Iraq invasion. The story needs little re-mention as the US has beaten retreat from the ME with nothing to show for its work except extremist groups which the US claimed they were fighting.
Strangely the US doesn’t realize that every enemy it fights, wins. Vietnam and Afghanistan are two deadly examples of the victorious enemy and all the excuses used to attack Saddam adds to nothing as he never promoted “Islamic Terrorism”.
Vietnam is firmly in the Chinese orbit and the old differences are buried with the focus on economic development. Afghanistan will still be limping as the Taliban may have to share power with Ghani, US’s stooge but the game is over. It’s going to be its two powerful neighbors, Russia and China who are going to call the shots.
The US and those who depend on it should do a reality check, both military and economic. The US economy after 2008 had never recovered and the Chinese are too big to play catch up. The age of supremacy of a single power is over as even the Chinese are negotiating with the Taliban to protect its BRI projects.
So amidst the decline there is hope if the world has changed and the age of solo supremacy has ended with it.
Source: United News of Bangladesh