Doug Bandow

America exists. Therefore it must save the world. That appears to be the view of Foreign Policy columnist Anchal Vohra. Mixing disappointment and shock, she observed: "Unfortunately for Lebanon, the United States has no active plan to rescue the country – nor is there any indication that one is in the works." The obvious question … Continue reading “US Can’t Save the World: That Includes Lebanon”

The failure of America’s expensive Potemkin regime in Afghanistan triggered predictable wailing and caterwauling by members of Washington’s War Party. In their view the U.S. can never leave any conflict anywhere at any time lest no one ever again believe that America will defend even itself in the future. Abandon Kabul today and the Russians … Continue reading “Afghan Withdrawal Enhances Long-Term US Credibility”

A celebrated ancient empire, Egypt was later ruled by other empires old and new. In 1952 the country went from monarchy to military rule. Until the 2011 Arab Spring explosion, which topped the Mubarak dictatorship, the armed forces kept control through military men turned civilian politicians. Two years later Egypt returned to military tyranny. In … Continue reading “Egypt Murders Its Citizens With Little Complaint From Washington”

Washington’s sole success in the 9/11 wars was Afghanistan. Barely two months after the destruction of the Twin Towers and strike on the Pentagon, U.S. forces had wrecked al-Qaeda and defeated the Taliban. With a little more effort, Osama bin Laden might have been captured during the battle at Tora Bora; with a little more … Continue reading “9/11: The War On Terror Wasn’t Supposed To End This Way”

NATO’s European members are in one of their periodic states of funk. When Joe Biden was elected president, they believed that the good times were back, with Washington unashamedly putting them first. Then Biden withdrew U.S. forces from Afghanistan – without asking the continent’s permission. What followed was much whining and caterwauling about Europe’s lack … Continue reading “When Foreign Policy Becomes Farce: Bring Brazil Into NATO?”

The collapse of America’s Potemkin government in Afghanistan shocked Washington. After the U.S. fueled decades of civil war, sacrificed thousands of American lives, left tens of thousands of other Americans wounded, contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of Afghan civilians, and wasted trillions of dollars, Washington’s grand nation-building project disappeared almost without a … Continue reading “Is Democracy Worth War?”

To most Americans the collapse of Afghanistan called into question Washington’s ability to manage the world. After devoting 20 years, thousands of lives, and trillions of dollars to creating a stable, democratic, and liberal Afghanistan, the entire Potemkin structure collapsed in 11 days. Hundreds of thousands fled as the Taliban successively captured provincial capitals. Tens … Continue reading “Barely Out of Afghanistan, Now America Is Supposed To Save Tigray From Ethiopia and Eritrea?”

Gold Star families are dealing with the tragic reality of the collapse of America’s mission in Afghanistan: their loved ones died in vain. Some 6300 Americans, military personnel and civilian contractors, were sacrificed for nothing. The geopolitical wreck known as the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan delivered distressingly little in return for the service, sacrifice, and … Continue reading “Yes, they Died in Vain in Afghanistan”

It took just 11 days, but the US lost another war. Washington and its mostly NATO allies spent 20 years, thousands of lives, and trillions of dollars to construct a political façade in Kabul, which disappeared almost overnight without trace. Now the Biden administration is frantically attempting to rescue American and allied citizens, as well … Continue reading “US Loses One Afghanistan War: Proposals for New Afghanistan Wars Multiply”

Despite the Afghanistan disaster dominating global headlines, American policymakers don’t seem to realize that they just lost a war. After Washington devoted two decades to, endured tens of thousands of casualties for, and spent trillions of dollars on its Afghan creation, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan melted away in less than two weeks. The rapid … Continue reading “Washington’s Arrogance Survives Afghanistan Disaster”