The Trump administration is preparing to deport at least 150 Afghans over the next 48 hours, first to Pakistan and then to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Many of those facing deportation are relatives of those who worked alongside the U.S., and they could face severe retaliation from the Taliban upon their return.
So much of international relations hinges on diplomatic credibility and fidelity.
In a security dilemma, every party needs to arm themselves to deter others from attacking and inadvertently poses a threat to their neighbours, who have to arm themselves in turn. Eventually, some manoeuvre might be misunderstood as preparation for an attack, or some megalomaniac actually does launch an attack and the powder keg erupts into a destructive mess.
Trust and the mutual understanding that neither side really wants war is crucial to escaping this arms race, free resources to build civil infrastructure, establish trade relations and prosper together. Even if the foreign policy of the US was deeply self-serving, it was fairly predictable. For many weaker states, living under their thumb at least offered some shelter - not ideal, but you have to worry less about your neighbour if you know the US will protect their foreign inyerests. And for the wealthier countries, of course, it provided stable trade and access to goods we might not otherwise get (let alone that cheaply).
Trump and his merry band of cunts are pissing all that trust away. I’m not going to shed tears over the US undermining its own dominance, but the collateral damage shouldn’t be underestimated. Whatever international order may emerge when the dust settles, I fear that the collapse of this one will be messy.