What he is saying is that The 50 or so years of absolute American dominance is over. The reason is not that America has declined but that much of the world is catching up.
All the events noted are change. Except for Russia that is actually in decline, growth and modernization are forces demanded by people who have learned that there can be a much better life. America has shown the way. That way includes Chinese teenage girls in Daisy Mae’s. It includes boys in NFL T shirts. That way is change.
It is this love of things modern that fuels the Islamic retrograde effort. There are those who can’t make the mental leap from the far past into the present or future.
“I have relatives who get sent there every summer for a few months; they tell me the Afghans are lowlife ignorant sub-human scum. They also say it will quickly go back to the way it always has been there when we do leave. When the Russkies nerve gassed them, they were doing the world a favor. Not one more American should die there.”.
I agree we sould pull all of our people (military, civilian and all) out BUT before we leave, destroy EVER damn thing we built there and then leave the country as it was back in the 8th century. If hose neanderthals want to live like they have for the past several hundred years so be it. It will NEVER be a democracy nor anything close. The Russians couldn’t solve the problems there either but obviously learned their lessons much earlier than we have.