Why again to follow suit?

The approach of US President Donald Trump in its new strategy in Afghanistan has elated India and at the same time upset Pakistan.

Trump has decided to send more troops to Afghanistan changing the earlier stance of considering fruitless, the deployment of soldiers in the beleaguered nation for sixteen years. He has outlined certain conditions including asking the Afghan government to bear more responsibility. Pakistan terror groups should be banned from cross border activities and India should do more in the Afghanistan matter. These are the core aspects of the new strategy of Trump’s administration. Indian government sees this as an indication of increased recognition of India’s relevance much more than before while, Pakistan is apprehensive over the shrinking special consideration received from the US. Although not considerably different, Trump’s Afghan policy incorporates small signs of change which is its only relevance.

In reality, India could prove its own power through an independent foreign policy. Like Pakistan, today India too formulates its foreign policy bearing America in mind, at least in the Asia region. Even though Pakistan is powerless in that aspect, India is not. The number of observers who believe that the times of foreign policies relying on the US has come to an end not only in Asia but also across the world is on a rise. It’s therefore surely ironical that India is leaning more towards the US during such a phase. Today, the countries try to establish their own place in the world with the logic of supremacy instead of cooperation. Studies show that the US which has been influencing and controlling the world, is failing to maintain its power even through force. Questions are constantly being raised as to how long the power of dollar, the base of fiscal communication, would remain. America is experiencing a decline in military as well as business power. In the recent verbal tussle with North Korea, it was the dearth of confidence, leadership and immaturity of Trump administration that came to light than the power of the US. The result of a research carried out by the US defence department was released two months ago. The study found that the US-controlled international global order that came into existence after the World War II, has started to collapse. The world at present is trudging towards an end of American supremacy. The report was released by US Army War College in June after a year of research that included consultations with Pentagon officials and prominent persons in the US army. The report could potentially influence the future policies of Trump administration.

Propaganda tactics, clandestine surveillance and military expansionism were the three aspects of the US that were likely to fail. The Pentagon study report however proposed to protect the US power by carrying on with more of the same. Trump’s new Afghan strategy might be part of this strange and illogical approach. Meanwhile countries that are aware of the ‘fraying’ or collapse of the US empire aren’t treating the US administration with the same prominence as displayed before. And countries like Iran that are already not in good terms with the US are overtly challenging the nation. A resolution recently passed by Iran is an example. It was a decision to impose sanctions on America for providing assistance to terrorist activities. Although America has not been included in the black list, measures like industrial sanctions on US individuals and companies backing terrorist activities and freezing their accounts are included in the resolution. The country is also contemplating on moving against NATO member countries for backing Israel terrorism. Although it wouldn’t lead to huge repercussions, it is beginning to reveal the true face of the US. With the US that lost its credibility, revealing its own decline, we shouldn’t commit the blunder of supporting America whether in the Afghan matter or any others. India should follow its own path, not that of the US.