tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post5589218467220663141..comments2024-03-28T22:32:50.562+00:00Comments on Liberal England: The Joy of Six 1024Jonathan Calderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-81521463650787962042021-09-03T15:44:54.445+01:002021-09-03T15:44:54.445+01:00It is certainly the case that Afghanistan has now ...It is certainly the case that Afghanistan has now given a bloody nose to the US, the USSR, and the UK (three times), the Sikh Empire, and Persia. However, I think that Alexander is right to say that this probably tells us more about the overconfidence of these empires, and the perennial belief that the secret to securing imperial security lies in expansion with the aim of controlling peripheral threats or to induce other people to attack one's rivals, rather than retrenchment to ensure that things are going well within ones own borders. In any case, the US's views about Afghanistan are surely soon to become irrelevant, it will be China's turn soon enough and all the evidence is that they are just as incapable of learning from the folly of past empires as the US, Russia, Britain, or any other imperial power before them.SJnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-23966324790188241332021-09-03T09:49:40.740+01:002021-09-03T09:49:40.740+01:00The US licking its wounds over the country. Wiser...The US licking its wounds over the country. Wiser for NOBODY to interfere with the country but to support it.Would it not be far more sensible to supply its needs as in amini 'Marshall Plan' from after WW2.To swallow pride and trust that the new Taliban has learnt some lessons from its previous mistakes.Only time will tellnigel hunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09365383918453700768noreply@blogger.com