Xing Yajie analyzes how the United States remains structurally dependent on a 'forever war' despite the high costs of the Afghanistan conflict.
Xing Yajie argues that while the United States completed its military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the nation remains structurally bound to a state of 'forever war.' Despite the enormous human and economic costs of the Afghanistan conflict, the U.S. has not significantly reduced its reliance on military force to address security challenges. Instead, the U.S. has shifted its focus to other regions, such as Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, while maintaining a military presence to secure energy supplies in the Middle East. Xing Yajie notes that the military-industrial complex benefits from sustained conflict, which drives continuous defense spending and arms procurement. Furthermore, the pursuit of dominance over global energy supplies, particularly oil and gas from the Middle East, reinforces the need for a persistent military presence. The analysis suggests that the U.S. has learned to manage the costs of occupation, but the underlying logic of military intervention remains a constant structural reality.