The US Is Waging Neoliberal Forever Wars
As the US military increasingly outsources the most important parts of war, American imperialism has evolved into something that can’t be measured merely by counting the number of boots on the ground. But it’s still highly profitable for corporate elites and spreads death and misery around the globe — and it still must be dismantled.
Afghan National Army soldiers in basic training at the Kabul Military Training Center’s military operations in urban terrain site on April 25, 2010. (ISAF Public Affairs)
It seems increasingly likely the United States will blow its own deadline for a final withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. White House press secretary Jen Psaki recently admitted that President Joe Biden “has conveyed that it would be difficult operationally to meet the timeline of getting all troops out by May 1.” This has put the US occupation back in the headlines, with many openly speculating whether US troops will ever fully leave the country.
But as journalist Anand Gopal tells Jacobin’s Jason Farbman, we can no longer measure the footprint of American imperialism by looking at the number of troops on the ground. US wars have evolved into neoliberal forever wars, where America outsources its projection of brute force.
In the following interview, Gopal explains the changing shape of America’s conflicts, why the antiwar movement is dormant, and why anti-imperialism remains a crucial piece of socialist politics.
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