Skip to main content

Americans, Taliban terrorists 'collaborated' to defeat Afghan liberal, democratic forces

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* 

Many commentators from different ideological orientations provide a false equivalence of American withdrawal from Afghanistan with the fall of Saigon. It is false because American imperialism was thoroughly defeated by the revolutionary programmes and fighting spirit of Viet Cong. It led to rise of united, egalitarian, democratic, peaceful, and prosperous Vietnam.
On the other hand, the imperialist invasion has ruined the culture, society, economy and politics of Afghanistan. It has weakened the progressive, liberal, secular and democratic forces in the country. It destroyed the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) which was beacon of secular and progressive politics in the region. It has empowered the terrorists and religious right-wing forces.
Kabul has fell into the hands of Taliban on August 15, 2021 after the compromise and retreat of American imperialist forces. The American imperialist invasion is the only similarity between Afghanistan and Vietnam. America and its imperialist allies are successful in destroying Afghanistan and destabilising the regional and world peace.
The anti-Vietnam war and the defeat of America in Vietnam led to rise of solidarity movements across the world and contributed to the deepening of democracy, solidarity and peace. Therefore, there is absolutely no resemblance between Kabul and Saigon in terms its ideological formations and outcomes.
After 20 years of imperialist war in Afghanistan, White House National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne calls Taliban terrorists as ‘business like professionals’. She said, "The Taliban have been cooperative in facilitating the departure of American citizens and lawful permanent residents on charter flights".
The statement reflects the collaboration between American imperialism and Taliban terrorists in Afghanistan. The aim of the invasion was to empower terrorists, enable Taliban to control Afghanistan, expand defence industry by accelerating conflicts and instabilities in the region. American imperialism and its western European allies have successfully achieved this goal.
Historically, American imperialism has created the Taliban, nurtured it with financial support, military training, supplied arms and ammunition and empowered it further in 2021. They complement each other. The radicalisation of people in a reactionary path is an integral strategy of the imperialist forces.
This objective was achieved successfully in Afghanistan with deaths and destitution of thousands of people and their families. The people in Afghanistan and American-led coalition forces have lost their lives for the sake of imperialist adventures to uphold interests of global capitalism and divert attentions from the failures of global capitalism.
The imperialist alliance claims to justify war and invasion in another country in the name of freedom, democracy and women’s empowerment. But in reality, it helps to defeat democracy, secularism and peace and aid reactionary forces to cause instability which helps American domination. It also destroys citizen’s ability to fight reactionary forces in countries like Afghanistan.
There is absolutely no resemblance between American withdrawal from Kabul and Saigon in ideological formations and outcomes
So, imperialism and its allies can never be the champions of democracy, human rights and can never fight terrorism. The everyday practice of imperialist powers show that imperialist regimes support dictatorships, authoritarian, religious right-wing forces, reactionary and anti-democratic politics. Imperialism is the enemy of people and their planet.
The troika of imperialist adventure, capitalist plunder and terrorism move together as unbreakable biblical brethren that ravaged the world. Poverty, violence, death and destitutions are four fundamental outcomes of this troika. There is no humanitarian war and democratic violence. But these ideas are promoted by the war mongering foreign policy and neo-colonial diplomacy that upholds the elite shareholders of defence industry based in west. These forces are responsible for the tragedies of our times.
The imperialist wars and invasions only diverts people’s attention from the failures of ruling and non-ruling elites of the capitalist system. It weakens peace, democracy and citizenship rights. It is within this context, the American retreat from Afghanistan is not a defeat of imperialism but a strategic victory for its core ideological values. 
The imperialist transformations in Afghanistan and in other parts of the world are ongoing. These reactionary transformations are posing serious threats to human lives, liberties and peace in the planet.
It is time for the progressive, democratic, liberal, secular and socialist forces to work in solidarity with suffering people across the globe to support people’s struggle against imperialism, capitalism and terrorism. Only progressive people’s struggles can end imperialist wars, neo-colonial capitalism and ensure democracy, peace and prosperity.
---
*University of Glasgow, UK

Comments

TRENDING

Reducing emission? India among top nations whose coal as energy source going up

By NS Venkataraman*  The State of the Global Climate report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that the year 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global temperature of 1.4 degree celsius above pre-industrial 1850-1900 base line.

Lockdown 'total failure' of science more than of politics: Open letter on 4th anniversary

Counterview Desk  In an open letter to fellow academicians, scientists and medical practitioners in India, marking the fourth anniversary of India's lockdown (25 March 2024), the Managing Committee* of the Universal Health Organisation (UHO) has insisted on the need to "repair two years of immense damage to science".

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor*  Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

'Wrong direction': Paris NGO regrets MNC ArcelorMittal still using coal-based steel

By Rajiv Shah  A new report by Paris-based non-governmental research and campaigning organization, Reclaim Finance, has blamed the MNC ArcelorMittal – formed in 2006 following the takeover and merger of the western European steel maker Arcelor (Spain, France, and Luxembourg) by Indian-owned Mittal Steel – for using use “climate destructive” metallurgical coal for its projects in India.

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Attack on foreign students: Gujarat varsity's reputation, ranking at stake, say academics

Counterview Desk  Expressing anguish over the attack on international students in Gujarat University hostels, a letter claimed to have been signed by 122 current and former academics has asked the Gujarat Vice Chancellor, Dr Neerja Gupta, to provide emotional support to the attacked students and to ensure their physical safety.  

As double engine takes backseat in Odisha, BJP is pitted against 'firmly rooted' BJD

By Sudhansu R Das  BJP has got 25 years to build its party base in Odisha. After 25 years, it felt helpless and insecure to fight elections on its own strength. The party was almost crazy to have an alliance with the ruling BJD in Odisha.  Looking for alliance at the time of election shows that the party has not groomed its grassroots level workers into potential leaders.  The state BJP leaders woke up and convinced the Central leaders that they are capable of going solo; the alliance was stillborn. The question is can BJP defeat BJD which is firmly rooted in Odisha after launching piles of populist programs in the state.