Reform, Reaction and Revolution

Numerous interesting parallels have been drawn between the current
situation in Afghanistan and the Sudanese rebellion, Narodniks, and
the geopolitics of oil and inevitably the Great Game. I have a few
others.

To me, current American actions look a little like Napoleonic
imperialism after the French Revolution. Authoritarian, imperialist
and progressive - fostering nationalism both directly and indirectly
as anti-imperialism. Looking at the apparent collapse of the Taliban
it does become clear that their support base was in all probability
quite narrow. I would guess that most Afghanis are welcoming their
collapse. In the short run this could be relatively better for most
Afghanis left in Afghanistan. That is, in terms of immediate relief.
We will see what happens in the future... Furthermore, firming
American support for the last "people" without a state, the
Palestinians, strengthens that connection to the French Revolution.
Imperialist and progressive are of course quite impossible to
reconcile for some of us. (It could also be that I am completely
misled by the coverage of the international media).

In another way, the current situation could also be like the Spanish
Civil War. Maybe the war in Afghanistan was the first shot of the next
30-year war between a variant of political Islam and political
Christianity. Islamic fundamentalism could either be like Fascism or
Communism. The American state is leading the party of Christians or
Liberals? Probably both... Which of course recalls the Religious Wars
of Early Modern European history. In that case of course I do not know
which side to cheer for... Sounds too much like "Clash of
Civilizations"? But that is what we may have on our hands anyway.

Thirdly, American imperialism could be the counter-revolution in
action. But counter-revolution against which revolution? Against 1968?
... I am not convinced. Nevertheless, in that case the Taliban would
also be a party of the counter-revolution. Is this then a turf war
between various factions of the counter-revolutionary movement,
precisely because there is no revolutionary threat on the horizon?

I wonder...
Krishnendu Ray