By Joel Bleifuss, In These Times
Imperial ambitions in Afghanistan have once again been thwarted. This time, it’s the Americans who slunk off in defeat — or “withdrawal,” as President Joe Biden calls it. In 1992 it was the Soviets who withdrew from Afghanistan, and in 1842, 1880 and 1919, during the Anglo-Afghan Wars, the British. The grandiose plans for “nation building” long forgotten, in the end, winning the war proved too much.
Afghanistan reteaches an old lesson about imperial blowback. Empires don’t last, but their legacies do. Since World War II people around the world continue to deal with the fallout of U.S. covert operations and military interventions — in Chile, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Indonesia, Vietnam, Congo, Somalia, Israel and Palestine, Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan, to name a few.
Recent Posts
Democrats Are Too Paralyzed To Take Action On Abortion Rights
July 6, 2022
Take Action Now For months, the Democratic Party leadership knew the Supreme Court was preparing to gut Roe v. Wade. When it happened, they…
Corporate Media Keeps Helping Big Oil Whitewash Its Image
July 6, 2022
Take Action Now Even now, when scientists say we’ve done irreversible damage to our planet, corporate and legacy news outlets won’t give up…
Shireen Abu Akleh’s Murder Not “Intentional,” Claims State Department
July 5, 2022
Take Action Now “The odds that those responsible for the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh will be held to account are all but…
Joe Biden Is Faltering Amid The Biggest Challenges Of His Presidency
July 5, 2022
Take Action Now Joe Biden is not up to the task at hand By Eoin Higgins, The Flashpoint During the 2020 Democratic primary,…