While predictions of a US decline are premature and overblown, there are real issues that must be addressed down the road.

Is The US Decline Inevitable? 

America That I Admired!

According to the saying, "A half-truth is even more dangerous than a lie." My desire to study the United States developed with information gained through Hollywood films and documentaries, particularly those concerning war (WWII). 

Visual media has a powerful influence on the human brain, and I was no exception.  

The open and vibrant society, economic power, cutting-edge military weaponry, and incomprehensible scientific advancements effectively generated an atmosphere of invincibility and confidence in American principles. 

The moral aptitude and leadership qualities, the commitment to upholding democratic values at any cost, made America the leader of the righteous world, at least in my eyes.

However, with time I learned that perception creates a smokescreen that opaques the reality. It hinders a person's ability to do rational thinking, and I, too, was blinded by one side narrative meticulously planned and executed through media. The American Betrayal of ordinary Afghanistanis was the proverbial last straw. 

While American dreams enticed ordinary citizens and US citizenship became an apparent goal, the US emerged as the promised land of milk and honey. But, gradually, as I continued with my quest to learn about the US, some uncomfortable facts started tumbling out. 

Scratching The Surface

Active Participation of the United States in Regime Change

Learning about the successful attempts by the US to topple regimes in South America surprised me. 

What amused me most was the Guatemala coup (1954). Endorsed by the USA, it was a blatant misuse of power and against all democratic principles that it claims to uphold. There's a long list of where the US overthrew democratically elected governments between the 1950s till the 1980s. Unfortunately, the hunger for a strategically crucial foreign land and natural resources have yet to end. 

History was again repeated in Iraq, where a regime was overthrown, and the entire region hasn't stabilized yet. The byproducts of the illegal Iraq war are the Syrian bloodbath, the ISIS monster, the Yemen crisis, and instability in Iraq. 

The US Refuses to Play Ball in International Treaties

If one was to track the record of honoring International treaties by respective nations, the US stands exposed with its abysmal record. It is abrogating International treaties unilaterally, such as the Paris Agreement on climate change, Trans-Pacific Partnership, and North American Free Trade Agreement. 

The US even rejected an International Court of Justice ruling on Iran. However, it doesn't bode well with a country that sermonizes other nations to comply with such treaties.  

The Unholy Alliance

Not just duping the civilized world, America has a past chequered history of making opportunistic alliances with terrorist organizations, autocratic regimes, and radical Islamic states. 

From selling weapons to providing technical knowledge or monetary assistance, America furthers its propaganda without deliberating on consequences. 

Not to forget that America is the only country that dropped Nuclear weapons (Japan) and used chemical weapons(Vietnam) in the world. It still possesses the most massive arsenal of Nuclear bombs and the most significant defense spender. 

The complexities of different societies, treacherous diplomacy, and economic windfall gains at the expense of misery inflicted on hapless innocent people due to successive American governments are under-reported or brushed aside by the media.

Though Gobbles is the fallen guy and is blemished, even today, American policy is the real culprit in waging propaganda wars and peddling their narrative as sacrosanct throughout the globe. Mischievous propaganda is propagated by dominating media. 

There is no denying that autocratic or communist regimes have abysmal respect for world peace or human rights, but American policymakers are no different either. Whether supplying weapons to Saudi Arabia for killing Yemini civilians or abandoning Afghan society at the mercy of the Taliban, the US has treaded an opportunistic path.

Image courtesy- Google Images 

6G is the sixth generation future mobile network that is presently being developed for wireless communications that enable cellular data networks. It is expected to be much quicker than 5G.

6G Network

What is 6G Technology?

6G technology refers to the sixth-generation technology, which when operational, will be an inexpensive and much faster way to transmit data. 6G is futuristic technology and when launched will provide excellent data quality and fast Internet bandwidth for on-air connections through wireless and hand-held devices. 

Mobile technology has evolved on a relatively stable basis over a period of time, for instance, 3G came in 2000, 4G in 2010 and 5G in 2020 and is believed 6G will be launched around 2030. 

6G technology's primary objective is to provide end-users with entertainment, internet access, and weather awareness facilities at a much faster rate without interruption. Moreover, its coverage will not be limited to even remotest areas around the globe but will be available in space too at brisking speed. For instance, 5G takes milliseconds for data to reach the destination from its source 6G will reduce it to microseconds.

Working of 6G

It is believed that 6G will operate between 95GHz and 3THz spectrum bands. 

One major drawback to operate at such high spectrum is that the transmission cannot travel far and penetrate objects like walls making the whole idea defunct. 

Thus we can see that higher wireless frequencies enable more information to be transmitted, although not as efficiently as the lower frequencies like 4G, because the signals may be more easily obstructed. To overcome this problem, 6G will operate on Nano Antennas installed in places such as roadsides, towns, markets, airports, and hospitals to broadcast electromagnetic high-speed signals. This would, in turn, shift networked communications off traditional base stations. 

 

The system implies that rather than one central station, operators can divide the network into thousands of smaller cells with a base station at the center. According to reports, One hundred gigabits-per-second frequencies and relatively minimal latency can be delivered to 6 G subscribers.

  Image Courtesy: https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-article/why-do-we-need-6g-and-what-are-the-challenges/28805

Companies Participating in 6G Race

6G technology is presently being in the development and testing stage. Since it holds good potential and is futuristic applications are immense, a lot of research is underway in various countries who are competing against time and with each other for a larger pie of the market. 

Companies like Apple, Qualcomm in the USA, Samsung of S.Korea, Sony of Japan are all in the process of developing and testing equipment which is in different stages of execution. 

6G Benefits

It is estimated that by 2025, the 6G network would be in operation in several cities and countries across the globe. 

Among other benefits, 6G will boost the overall experience of subscribers like never before. Some of the functions it may facilitate involves features such as:

 

1)  A hologram that is transmitting the whole image of the person through waves during the conversation. Though exciting, speaking about it is still early. 

2)  The second major advantage would be the riddance of the buffering problem to consumers that we all encounter during video streaming. Another benefit would be online TV with superior quality will become popular at relatively cheaper rates and more choices for viewers.  

3)  6G would also be beneficial for traffic laws, as traffic management and tracking can be best accomplished by 6G. 

4)  It can also become a blessing for medical practitioners with operations through robotic arms on the 6G network, supporting surgeons and saving precious lives may become more normal. 

5)  One may like it or not, but thanks to 6G technologies, Artificial Intelligence(AI), which is a highly discussed subject in numerous organizations and think-tank across the globe, can get a major fillip. 

6) 6G can improve the gaming business immensely by attracting players and respective customers by greater performance, speed, and graphics.

Conclusion

6G though futuristic has the potential to change our outlook towards life. With an enriching user interface, it can transform science fiction into fact.

The country's reconstruction attempt was doomed from the outset. When the Taliban acquired power, they began pursuing and executing Afghans who worked with the US to form a civil government. The US abandoning of Afghans, along with the Taliban's violent strategy, has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Afghans.

American Betrayal In Afghanistan (Part -3)

The Afghan Debacle

The Afghan war started in October 2001 in the aftermath of the Twin Tower attacks and lingered for 20 years without any decisive outcome. It was the longest and most expensive war for the USA. 

 

The resilience of Taliban fighters shocked and exposed the limitations of the American war machine. With most of its allies have withdrawn their forces in 2014, American troops also changed their strategy. The US forces limited their activities to training Afghan troops for a combat role. They were only available to the Afghan army in a supporting role, encouraging Afghan National Security Forces to be at the forefront. 

After a prolonged period of fighting, the escalating cost of war and no remedy in sight to end the stalemate forced the US to start looking for a face-saving exercise by entering into 'peace talks' with the Taliban. Moreover, ending the war and bringing troops home became a burning election issue in America, with successive Presidential candidates focusing on troop withdrawal. Eventually, the Biden administration decided to conclude the operations and ordered a retreat.

 

It is necessary to emphasize that despite the world community's constant support and good intentions, the elected politicians couldn't bring stability to Afghanistan.

Taliban Returned to its Old Ways

The global community attempted to reconcile and play a role in reconstruction, but all efforts were futile. In the end, it was the Taliban who triumphed and began harassing citizens, especially women and religious minorities.

 

The world community tried its best to usher in a new era of development and to wean Afghanis away from radical ideology and bloodshed. International donors poured billions of dollars in aid to support the noble cause. Countries such as India, which has a strategic interest in the stability of Afghanistan, have contributed over $750 million in assistance to Afghanistan.

 

However, the inefficiencies of the Afghan administration, large-scale corruption, infighting among politicians who were former warlords, and crimes committed by government officials have disappointed the Afghanis. In addition, the ineffectiveness of the Afghan National Army in protecting vast swathes of territory and civilians from terrorists further eroded the confidence of civilians.

The Taliban shifted gears and continuously changed their strategy until they captured Kabul. During their struggle, they undermined the government machinery and remained aggressive. Taliban is attempting to win the people's confidence by adopting a dual strategy. 

 

They were threatening violence against civilians supporting the erstwhile government and reminding people of times when the Taliban succeeded in stamping out corruption and lawlessness and making the roads and areas under their control safe for commerce to flourish. The tactics eventually proved successful. 

What Fueled the Taliban's Rise to Power?

The Taliban, who regrouped successfully under the leadership of Mulla Omar with tacit support from the Pakistan Military, had sound financial backing. The Taliban leadership was well-funded and protected, which helped them strategize to take on their enemies at will. With an annual income of around $1.7 billion, the Taliban emerged as a powerful self-funding terror group well entrenched.

 

Since 2002, the money collected through different sources such as drug trade, illegal mining of natural resources, taxation on goods and transit fees on vehicles plying in controlled areas helped the Taliban maintain the insurgency and finance more attacks on the establishment. 

Pakistan's tacit support and hobnobbing with terror outfits benefited the Taliban immensely.

 

The Final Betrayal

Sadly, Afghanistan today has become a battleground for all major powers to extract a pound of flesh for themselves. As a result, the vested interests of groups within and outside Afghanistan have become a stumbling block to lasting peace in Afghanistan.

 

In this tug-of-war between negotiators and the Taliban, Afghan society stands to lose the most. In the last 20 years, the narratives and goals of the Afghan war kept changing. Unfortunately, the values for which the war started and was once a noble effort has long been forgotten. Supporters of women's rights, human rights, and civil society are dismayed today.

 

The Taliban's refusal to respect Afghanis' human rights, uphold international laws, avoid violence, and give equal rights to Afghan women during discussions was not taken into account by negotiators. Unfortunately, the US and its partners were more interested in a face-saving formula than negotiating a meaningful settlement with the Taliban. As a result, the civilized world bowed down in the face of lunatics. 

Image courtesy - Google Images 

Though the US possessed the firepower to demolish the Taliban government and claim moral victory, the US government had a poor strategy and ignored warnings about Afghanistan.The Taliban's foot soldiers adopted a simple strategy of blending in with the local populace and waiting for the right moment to strike back and seek vengeance.

American Betrayal In Afghanistan (Part -2) 

America Strikes Back

Following the breakdown of negotiations, battle lines were drawn between the mighty American war machine and deeply rooted Taliban fighters with a history of wrestling Russia. The military campaign began 27 days after approximately 3000 Americans were killed in the horrific twin towers attack.

 

The main goal of the United States 'Operation Enduring Freedom' was to demolish Al-Qaeda's infrastructure by ousting the Taliban from power. On the ground, fighters loyal to the Northern Alliance joined the military operation against the Taliban. 

 

The United States was aided in its fight against terror by its allies. Yet, at the same time, the Taliban received no open backing from any nations that recognized its authority, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. 

As the U.S. started its campaign, the Taliban couldn't withstand the military might of US-led forces and, within two months, lost most of the Afghan territory under its control. By December 17, 2001, the Taliban were knocked out of power, and American-led forces built military bases near major cities nationwide to provide security.

The Emergence of Civil Society

As the Taliban retreated, the U.N. Security Council, led by the United States, advocated the establishment of Afghan National Security Forces to protect Afghan land from the Taliban. International Security Forces led by the United States were to train Afghan forces to take up the task when it was ready.

On the political front, Hamid Karzai was appointed as the leader of the transitional administration to supervise the start of the country's diplomatic process. Following successful elections in 2004, Hamid Karzai was elected the first President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. 

 

Civil liberties were introduced with some semblance of peace returning to Afghanistan, and women's rights were actively supported. Moreover, the establishment emphasized the improvement of necessary physical infrastructure along with economic and educational reforms.

 

Afghanistan received generous cooperation from the international community in the form of Billions of dollars to improve health, education, human rights, etc.

 

Afghan women and girls treated as second-class citizens during the Taliban era were permitted to return to school and university and contribute to their country's development.

However, with all these development activities taking place in Afghanistan, there's always a danger of the Taliban lurking around. It is essential to understand that they were forced out of power but not defeated by the USA.

 

 Pakistan Comes to the Taliban's Aid 

Contrary to popular belief, most al-Qaeda and Taliban members were neither arrested nor killed. Instead, they quickly fled to adjacent Pakistan over the porous border or withdrew to Afghanistan's rural or distant mountainous districts, away from American strikes. 

 

Following that, the Taliban gradually began reorganizing within the safe havens of tribal areas of Pakistan under the command of Mulla Omar. Then, despite continuous American ground and air forces, the Taliban, more acclimatized to the mountainous environment, unleashed an audacious guerilla attack against US-led troops across the Pakistan border. 

The Taliban's more brutal and deceptive tactics were victorious against the ill-prepared US-led troops, who began losing soldiers in more significant numbers. Since the beginning of the conflict, America has lost almost 2300 troops and another 20,500 injured, although the number of casualties among all allies is far greater.

 

Despite some initial setbacks, the Taliban adapted well to the changing scenario of the battlefield. They started their offensive from bordering areas of the AF-PAK border and quickly escalated to the heart of the country. As the Taliban increased its strength, massive-scale attacks on government buildings, military bases and suicide attacks on civilian locations in urban areas increased exponentially.

Taliban Were Waiting in the Shadows

Patience and perseverance proved effective in the Taliban's win over Western nations. With time, the Taliban steadily regained power and lost ground, owing to battle-hardened warriors and geography that supported their combat strategy. Using patience and tenacity, the Taliban gradually expanded their authority across Afghanistan, leaving vast swaths of the country unstable and prone to murder.

Even when pressure was put on Pakistan to rein in terrorists on its soil or with successful raids by U.S. forces to filter out terrorists, it didn't do much in blunting the Taliban's offensive capabilities. 

 

To some extent, the United States achieved its initial objective of denying terror groups like al-Qaeda sanctuary while neutralizing its senior leadership. Nonetheless, the momentum seems to have shifted in favour of the Taliban.

 

The U.S., for its part, gradually started realizing the futility of the continuity of the conflict it was sucked into. Despite constant commitment towards Afghanistan regarding men and material, US-led forces were losing much more than human lives.

Tide Has Turned Now

Sensing fatigue in enemy camps, the Taliban also increased its offensive. Emboldened by the violence unleashed against the U.S.-led forces and civilians, the Taliban re-emerged as a force to reckon with that can no longer be sidelined.

 

As the bodies began to pile up, the divisions within U.S. allies came to the fore. They were no longer interested in committing their troops to the battlefront, forcing the U.S. to shoulder the responsibility alone. The limitations of the U.S.-led forces, large-scale corruption in governance, and tribal divisions within government provided a suitable ground for the Taliban to get a seat at the negotiating table.

 

With no end to the war in sight and the resurgence of the Taliban visible, the U.S. was pressured to negotiate with the Taliban to end the stalemate.

Image courtesy - Google Images