El maestro Kaplan reflexionaba el otro día en el NYT sobre la salida de las fuerzas estadounidenses de Afganistán, un país que, como ningún otro: "represents
the triumph of the deterministic forces of geography, history, culture, and
ethnic and sectarian awareness, with Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazaras and
other groups competing for patches of ground".
Para Kaplan, la presencia de los militares estadounidenses allí favorece de hecho a sus rivales, en tanto que: "The
Chinese, Pakistanis, Russians, Indians and Iranians, meanwhile, may all be
benefiting more from America’s military operations in Afghanistan than the
United States is. Our presence may provide just enough security to allow their
energy and transport corridors to take shape, while also helping the Russians
guard against Islamic terrorism on their southern border. Thus, our rivals
build their own empires on the back of our declining one"