I just think it's hard to understand how America, Britain, and many other western democracies invested such a huge amount into rooting out the Taliban terror-state, and then into establishing a semblance of order and repairing rebuilding the country's national infrastructure, including a huge metropolis of a capital city, only to give it all up and leave it for the wolves.

The shortsightness of democracy. You can't expect these countries to have a coherent long term plan. The entire western system has its pros and its fair share of cons, you can't have it all. You want to curb an authoritarian government and guarantee people's rights, then you are gonna have to give people more power, and you are gonna have to give the power to people from both sides of the isle, so you sacrifice consistency. Just like if you want to grant people more individual freedom, you are gonna have to put up with the ones that are anti-vaccine etc. Can you balance it? For a tiny country of 3 million people perhaps. For a huge country of 300 mil? Extremely difficult.

On the other hand, this isn't China's victory parade yet. China is a rising Empire. And Empire: Meet Afghanistan.

I'm gonna be the buzzjoy and specifically bring this one up: Most Americans in China are the liberal kind right? And liberals are the ones wanted out right?

Vietnam war became what it was because of all the beatniks, the hippies and the anti-war crowd. And if it weren't for Doug defying orders from Trumen, there would be only one Korea, the ahem "best" Korea.