By Sazzad Haider
Will America turn back to its historic isolation era? Because, according to Joe Biden “the USA cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war” as “Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves.”
Since the beginning of this century, the USA military has engaged in never ending war against many Asian countries to carry out its divine aspect for flourishing democracy. But the imposing democracy has been rejected, even, by the extreme admirers of democracy in the USA invaded totalitarian countries. At the end of days, the USA divine intervention became aloof from the people in different countries such as Iraq, Libya or Afghanistan. It also proved that the imposed democracy is not better option of the totalitarian system. The USA people became frustrated with such meaning less war and bloodshed.
Thus, the prevailing situation is now demand to re-evaluate the USA foreign policy and look back to the last century’s USA isolation.
During the 1930s, the Great Depression and the tragedy of in World War I pushed American public opinion toward isolationism. Therefore, the USA government put a policy to non-involvement in European and Asian conflicts and even, non-entanglement in international politics.
The Japanese sudden air-raid on the USA- pacific fleets in 1941 shifted public opinions and the USA broke up isolation policy by engaging in the second-world war on the side of the Allies.
During the world war, America was undamaged at home and gradually geared up its global influence.
After the end of war, The USA elevated in the apex of the global economy as it overstepped the global dominance of old colonial countries of Europe.
After the end of second-world war, the eco-political structures of Europe were highly unstable and totally ruined. Although the Axis Powers lost the war but indiscriminately, all the inhabitants of Europe were plunged into immense suffering in the post war era. In this circumstance, the US Marshall Plan Aid made a partial contribution for economic recovery and political integrity of the Western Europe. Besides, the move was clearly intended to strengthen the US economy and consolidated the US role as a greatest global player.
The United States investment in the Europe mitigated the war-fear of continent for centuries. In addition; the United States turned away from its traditional isolationism and got the leadership of the free world.
The war-defeated Japan and Germany welcomed the USA military presence as protection from the Russian retaliation and as a saviour of the capitalism.
The upshot of the USA global role following the world war contributed to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countering the global expansion of communism.
But the USA interferences were rebuffed in Vietnam, Korea and other Asian countries. Ignoring the people’s phycology, the USA engaged in long-term fatiguing war in Asia.
The USA involvement in Korea war failed to creation of the North Korea republic, whereas, the USA evaded from Vietnam in disgraceful way which consolidated the communist regime in Vietnam.
In the beginning of twenty-first century in 2001, Bush’s Operation Enduring Freedom launched to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and wash out Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network.
Two years later, the USA President George W. Bush switched on another Gulf War “to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people.” The USA regime change mission in Iraq was without approval of the UN and some of its NATO allies including France and Germany.
The people of these countries set aside the USA designated democracy moreover, the US forces became an occupational force to them.
These two incomprehensible wars had no justification for long-term blood-shading of the USA soldiers.
The USA was the allegedly plotters of Arab-spring as it extended all-out supports to the democratic coup-d’état in Egypt, Syria, Libya and Tunisia. The Arab spring made opportunity for the USA to over through its long term foe Syrian president Assad and Libyan leader Gaddafi. So, the USA lead NATO willingly launched air-strike on those countries to up roots the totalitarian regimes. After the end of Arab spring the world people witnessed the series of USA betrayal to the Arab democracy. In Egypt, an elected government from a free and fair election was toppled by the USA supported coup-d’état. Practising democracy is totally prohibited now in this country. The Libyan people are oppressed by some local dictators and the country faraway from democracy. In Syria the USA gave walk-over to Assad in a deal with Russia. The USA moved back from backing up the Arab spring due to pressure from monarchy states of Arab.
Former US President Donald Trump was the pathfinder of 21-century’s American Isolation policy as he adopted his “America First” agenda to retreat from a leading contributor to its traditional allies.
He raised the question of the existence of NATO and pushed the alliance to the verge of break up.
He pulled out from the Paris climate treaty, the Iranian nuclear deal and the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. He also reduced the US’ global responsibilities in the UNESCO, the United Nations Human Rights Council and the World Health Organization.
Significantly, he began a large repatriation of US soldiers from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
In October 2019, Trump launched a drive to withdraw the US troops from northern Syria. Trump also restrained from the opportunity to oust Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
In his tenure, former US President Donald Trump also avoided further direct war.
Joe Biden sticks to the Isolations policy of his predecessor Donald Trump specially, while he deals in Afghanistan issues. `I will not repeat the mistakes we’ve made in the past.’ Biden reaffirmed.
Joe Biden declared the end of the 20 years USA invasion in Afghanistan war worth $2.26 trillion — the longest war in American history.
But the USA pull-out from Afghanistan annoyed its Asian allied specially Israel furthermore, the Asian power balance extensively tilts towards China.
“Matters in Asia ultimately must be taken care of by Asians. Asia’s problems ultimately must be resolved by Asians and Asia’s security ultimately must be protected by Asians.” The Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Shanghai on 21 May 2014. Indicating the USA’s interference in Asia, Xi called upon Asian countries to be united and forge a way together, rather than get involved with third party powers. The Taliban got a prompt clapping from China after conquering Kabul, even before forming Taliban-government in Afghan capital. There is nothing to hide the Chinese desires to be a head honcho in Asian.
The USA core allies of the Asian-pacific regions became frustrated with the back out as the USA left the territory to China for implementing the Chinese-dream.
However, the USA Vice President Kamala Harris assured the allies in Asia-pacific regions as saying the US would “stand with our allies in the face of threats” during a speech made in Singapore on the first leg of a South East Asian tour recently.
She perceived a hint of consolidating the USA military presence in the region to counter any Chinese offence.
The stance of Ms Harris has contradicted the perception of the USA isolation in 21st century.
Moreover, Joe Biden in his speech clarified the USA overseas mission in future as saying “we can strike terrorists and targets without American boots on the ground — or very few, if needed.”
He also hinted that the USA might transmute the conventional war-strategy and introduce cyborg or star war technologies as like as in the science-fictions. The USA administration can assign multi-billionaires like Elon Musk of SpaceX or Jeff Bezos of aerospace to invent weaponries for star-wars in a bid to destroy the enemy of the USA in Afghanistan or elsewhere of the world “without American boots on the ground.’
Therefore the USA repatriation from Afghanistan or Asia regions is not meant that the USA would be isolated from the global politics or be restrained from further military invasion.
About the author:
Sazzad Haider is a writer, journalist and filmmaker living in Bangladesh. He edits The Diplomatic Journal.
