US Hegemonic Power and Future Prospects in Global Politics: A Study of the US Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Abstract

The research article aims to examine the influence of US withdrawal from Afghanistan on the US hegemonic position in the world. On 30th August 2021, after twenty years of its presence, the US officially ended the war in Afghanistan, exiting its troops from the Afghan land with the Afghan Taliban returning to power in Kabul. The withdrawal raised questions on the credibility of the US hegemonic power. To analyze the hegemonic position of the US, a qualitative approach and secondary data sources from journals, official reports and news articles are utilized. The 20-year war was a success as the US would not face any attack from terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda on its land. On the other hand, the long war on terror in Afghanistan was also aimed at nation-building and the spread of democracy, which the US failed to implement. The article argues that the US obsession with the Global War on Terror has damaged its hegemony and has led to the rise of counter-hegemonic forces. The US needs to reiterate its commitment towards its ideals of democracy, free market, and human rights in the changing global power dynamics to legitimize its position as a hegemon in the world.