Viewing the last 30 years or so as part of an ongoing historical narrative, the huge changes in the balance of world power are clear to see and undeniable. The adage that "history never repeats but it often rhymes" was never more apt.
Our frame of easy reference begins with the Soviets finishing withdrawing from Afghanistan in 1989 after the US funded the Mujahideen including some fella called Osama Bin Laden(whatever became of him?). This funding, training and arming of the Mujahideen was apparently the brainchild of Zbigniew Brezenski, National Security Adviser to President Jimmy Carter in order to bleed the Soviets by drawing them into their own "Vietnam".
Our frame of reference ends with where we are today, with the US withdrawing from Afghanistan after a failed 20 year war after being sucked into Afghanistan themselves and giving themselves their own new "Vietnam". History really does rhyme.
In the 3 decades between these momentous and rhyming events in world history the Soviet Union has disappeared. A weakened Russia and its vast natural wealth was almost lost to the predatory Western capitalists and their equally loathsome Russian Gangster partners who almost destroyed Russia under the easily manipulated and drunk Yeltsin during the 90's. The most loathsome of these individuals are protected with their ill gotten gains in London with the UK routinely ignoring the extradition requests from Russia for these obvious financial criminals and gangsters.
In parallel to the plundering of Russian natural wealth, US NATO ramped up the aggression believing their own propaganda that they had won the cold war and were now a sole superpower able to do as they pleased.
Western aggression increased with the invasions under false pretences of Iraq, Somalia, Former Yugoslavia, Iraq (again), Libya. Aggression and sanctions against Russia, Iran, Venezuela. The coup in Ukraine and their failed gambit to seize the prize of Crimea. This is by no means a full list of Empire crimes which are way too numerous to detail.
Syria is where the line was eventually put in the sand by Putin and Russia's intervention, after being convinced by General Soleimani (later assassinated in a cowardly and despicable act by the US) to intervene. Hezbollah and the IRGC fighting alongside regular Syrian Army units against the various jihadis armed and funded by the US. Russia with just a small air force offering air cover for SAA, Hezbollah and IRGC were the most responsible for the beating back of the Western sponsored Sunni Wahhabist jihadists in Syria and the beginning of the end of the current aggressions.
Since Syria, Western failures are piling up. The attempted coup and installation of Guiado in Venezuela has failed miserably. Iran even defying the US sanctions and blockade on not only themselves but also Venezuela by exporting fuel to Venezuela and threatening the US that delivery is guaranteed by Iranian missile power. The US did nothing to enforce their so called sanctions.
US support and arming of Saudi aggression(along with the UK and others) against Yemen about to come to the same end as their misadventure in Afghanistan.
The US and other foreign forces will gradually draw down more and more in Iraq and Syria as well as the rest of the Middle East. It is happening now because they are now vulnerable and un-supportable. Missile tech really has changed the rules of the game. The West is a generation behind.
The arrival of Putin onto the political scene in 1999, in hindsight, was the beginning of an earthquake in world politics and power. This is why Western leaders hate Putin. Not because he is any of the things he is accused of being, but because he is the most influential shaper of the unfolding 21st century. He is the most effective and influential politician of our age. His impact on world events is huge. His detractors understand this perfectly well which only increases their impotent rage.
