THE US AND UK imperialist powers have just suffered a historic defeat in Afghanistan. Last week, even as they scuttled out of the country, the US and UK governments estimated that it would take six months for the Talebs to take Kabul.
Further, that they would be able to send thousands more troops into the country to supervise an orderly face saving withdrawal of pro-imperialist forces.
In fact, the Taliban entered the capital city yesterday and then called a ceasefire. They declared that they would allow all who wanted to leave the city to do so, that there would be no armed patrols in the city and that they would be taking the necessary steps for an orderly transfer of power.
After advancing on the capital, the Taliban reportedly ordered its militants to refrain from violence, allow safe passage to anyone seeking to leave, and urged women to head to protected areas.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that the group was in talks with the Afghan government for a peaceful surrender of Kabul. ‘Taliban fighters are to be on standby on all entrances of Kabul until a peaceful and satisfactory transfer of power is agreed,’ the statement said.
The arrogant imperialist powers have now been humbled. They in fact learnt nothing from the repeated failures of British imperialism throughout the 19th and 20th centuries to conquer Afghanistan and make it part of the British Indian Empire.
The Afghan nation loves its freedom and liberty. This generation of Afghans was determined that they would not be the generation that went down in history as the ‘traitor generation’ that allowed the imperialist powers to take over their country.
Meanwhile, the US and UK imperialist regimes are in disarray. So grave is their defeat that the Biden regime is no doubt considering desperate measures, while Biden, the geriatric president, could well be forced to resign, as US hawks demand renewed military action.
The British House of Commons when it is recalled on Wednesday can huff and puff as much as it likes, but it will not be able to stop the Taliban becoming the government of Afghanistan. Workers and their trade unions must let MPs know that they must accept their defeat with as much grace as they can muster, but that the trade unions will not allow any insane attempt to organise a Bush-Blair-type invasion of Afghanistan.
In fact, the TUC must be recalled on this issue and must oppose any new military intervention and insist that it will call a general strike if it becomes necessary to halt such a military intervention. In fact, the lessons of the Bush-Blair wars on Afghanistan and Iraq must be learnt to the full.
History in that respect must not be allowed to repeat itself – the Afghan government and people must be left in peace to decide and build their own future. In fact, the British workers must be inspired by the victory of the Afghan people, and learn the great lesson of the Russian revolution and the Vietnam and Afghan wars, that the imperialist powers can and will be beaten.
Currently the world’s capitalist states have had all their contradictions laid bare by the Covid-19 epidemic and virus. Workers are being told that there will have to be big cuts in state expenditure, including in pensions, wages and jobs, so that British capitalism can get back on its feet and off its knees.
British capitalism is up to its neck in massive debt and the plan of the Tories and PM Johnson is to make the working class pay this debt for the good of the capitalist system and the bosses.
What the Vietnam and Afghan wars have shown is that the imperialist powers have got feet of clay. In fact, they have had their day. UK, US and EU workers must now fight for their futures.
They must insist that since it is the capitalist system that is in crisis – in fact it is in its death agony – it must be overthrown and be replaced with socialism. This means the nationalisation of the banks and the major industries in a socialist planned economy.
Otherwise the US, EU and British working class face being forced by the bosses to repay the massive capitalist debts and being driven back a century or more.
What the defeat of the US and UK in Afghanistan shows is that imperialism has had its day and must be consigned to the dustbin of history by the victory of the world socialist revolution.
This situation calls for the building of the International Committee of the Fourth International worldwide to organise the victory of the world socialist revolution.
