On August 30, 2021, the last transport plane of the US military flew away from Afghanistan. Thereafter, the “Kabul moment” has become a synonym for America’s failed operations in the country.

“Kabul moment” marks the failure of America’s “democratic reform”

A country’s democratic path should be independently explored by its people based on its national conditions, rather than being imposed from outside. Cramming “American-style democracy” down the throat of other countries will only make them sick and leave them in chaos. The Costs of War project at Brown University shows that more than 174,000 people, including over 47,000 civilians, have died as a direct result of the Afghan War. The UN Refugee Agency said the Afghan War that lasted nearly 20 years has driven 2.6 million Afghans out of the country and 3.5 million homeless.

After the withdrawal, the US froze Afghanistan’s US$7 billion overseas assets, sanctioned Afghan banks, and blocked foreign aid and capital from entering it, as if determined to pound the crippled country to the ground. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently warned that millions of Afghans are on the verge of death as even the most basic living needs can barely be met – that’s what America’s democratic reform has left to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is not the only victim of America’s “democratic reform”. Over the years, America is accountable for many wars and conflicts that have broken out in the Middle East and its surrounding countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria. It has instigated “color revolutions” in a number of countries, creating political turmoil or even the change of regimes. Its arbitrary economic sanctions has also withered the economy and ruined people’s lives in those countries.

“Kabul moment” marks the failure of America’s “clique” policy

After 20 years of occupation in Afghanistan, the US and its allies finally left in a scurry with their tail between their legs. A report by AFP said point-blank that the Afghan War has toppled America’s image. However, in the past year, the US remained obsessed with coercing and forcing its allies to form the so-called “value alliance” and cracked up the “trilateral partnership”, including G7, Five Eyes, and Quad, which have become increasingly exclusive with a growing trend toward bloc politics and military cooperation.

Besides, the US-Japan-India-Australia “quadrilateral mechanism” and the US-UK-Australia “trilateral security partnership” both exaggerate the so-called “China threat” in the name of “cooperation”. The US has even copied this practice of forming small cliques in economic, technological, and other areas, taking advantage of its economic, financial, and technological dominance as leverage to curb and suppress other countries, and seek geopolitical clout.

“Kabul moment” marks the failure of America’s hegemonistic strategy

After its debacle in Afghanistan, the US has nevertheless continued the political interference and manipulation around the world in the name of “democracy” and “human rights”. As the initiator of the Ukraine crisis, it has kept stoking the flames and exercised economic coercion without scruple. The subsequent global energy crisis, food crisis, inflation, and even local financial crisis have kept the world’s political and economic situation sustaining tension.

One year has passed since the “Kabul moment”, but the damage to Afghanistan is lingering. Recently, more than 70 renowned economists and experts on development issues signed a joint letter to US President Biden and US Secretary of the Treasury Yellen, demanding that the US return to Afghanistan the US$7 billion frozen assets overseas. Nearly 80 family members of the victims of the 9/11attacks also wrote a letter to the White House expressing their dissatisfaction that the government compensates them with the frozen Afghan assets, and asking it to return the wealth that belongs to the Afghan people.

The strong call from the international community reflects the expectation and aspiration of the people of all countries to build a more equitable and just world. Arbitrary military intervention and obsession with the use of force are doomed to fail; practicing “America first” all the time and stirring up division and confrontation are bound to meet the objection of the whole world.

Editor's note: This article is originally published on news.haiwainet.cn, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.