The USA is still self-centric on Afghanistan

Recent criticism of the USA's withdrawal from Afghanistan has been focused on US citizens left behind, and the possibility of new risks to the USA. Despite comments that the new Biden administration has "inherited a decision, not a plan", there is still little about the women's human rights and safety and the cultural diversity that is being destroyed by the misogynistic male violent extremists. 

There is some commentary, which shows that the US still has a core of decency amongst at least some people, and I am mindful that the opposition to past abusive US Presidents has often been strongest in the USA, but their self-obsession, staggeringly high crime and poverty rates, and simplistic responses to issues show how little the USA, following the damage done by Reagan, can be relied on - or even trusted. (The damage done by Nixon and his cohort was also significant, but was more internal than outward-focused.)

We also have our problems here in Australia, with a national government that is secretive, simplistic in its views (especially on misogyny), prone to climate change denialism (based on their lack of action), facing concerning numbers of accusations of corrupt conduct, and enabling racism, xenophobia, transphobia and other 18th century flaws - but we have little power to influence anything except the climate crisis, where we could, with a little business vision and competence, go from enabling massive GHG emissions to exporting renewable power. 

The USA still has a power in the world that is not matched by an appropriate moral maturity - it's as if they want to be able to thumb their nose at the rest of the world for being powerful, but then just sit on their hands and not do anything with that power. 

Afghanistan is just the latest example of that.