Amidst political dysfunction and a major crisis of institutional legitimacy in the United States, Americans are now beginning to question the role of the country’s military in the world as well.
That’s the finding of new poll released this week regarding America’s recently ended war in Afghanistan.
The survey, funded by a US media outlet and the University of Chicago, showed that 66% of Americans now believe the country’s 20-year war in Afghanistan was not worth fighting. The results represent an increase from a similar poll two years ago which found 62% of Americans held this belief.
“It was unwinnable from the beginning,” said Martin Stefen, 78, a Republican voter interviewed about the poll by US media.
“I don’t think it was worth us staying over there,” said Justin Campbell, 28. Campbell said he was unhappy the Taliban was back in power in the Middle Eastern country, but he acknowledged the US never had broad support there.
The survey polled Americans about four proposed goals put forth by American leaders during the US’s long occupation of Afghanistan. A plurality of respondents only believed that one of them had been achieved, with 46% saying people in Afghanistan responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks had been brought to justice.
Pluralities of Americans said the war had failed to create a functioning Afghan government, eliminate the threat of so-called Islamic extremists in Afghanistan, or improve opportunities for women and girls in the country.
The poll comes amidst proposed military funding for US ally Israel after the October 7 surprise attack there by Hamas. On Thursday, during a rare address, US President Joe Biden argued for support for Israel as a matter of US security. Israel has long been a close US ally, assisting in military training for allied governments in Latin America and other regions.