Nation-Building Through The Military Does Not Work
August 31, 2021–In a significant and riveting speech, President Joe Biden defended his decision to complete the withdraw of U.S. troops from war-torn Afghanistan.
The speech is noteworthy not only for its forcefulness. It is also relevant for its acknowledgment of a failure and an end to a U.S. policy of promoting democracy through the use of military forces. Biden faced opposition in the United States and around the world for his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
UPDATE Afghanistan in 2026 Five years after the dramatic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the repressive Taliban regime remains in brutal control, even as it is still unrecognized by a majority of countries. Afghanistan and Pakistan are at war.
For more on American democracy, see Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Flout Democracy from September 30, 2026.
