On Dec.18 the U.S. closed its military command in Afghanistan, a symbol of the end of 13 years of war. However, fears left by the war remain deeply imprinted on American memory.

13 years ago, the smoke palls from the New York World Trade Center crushed America. Since then, huge numbers of American troops have been sent to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the U.S. campaign against terrorism has failed to dispel American fears of terrorism and war.

Because of this fear, a country which had laid emphasis on privacy protection passed the Patriot Act in October 2001, expanding the surveillance powers of U.S. law enforcement agencies. Because of this fear, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was founded in 2002. Because of this fear, the U.S. increased its spending on counter-terrorism.

Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have brought neither peace, nor a sense of security. Americans have never felt safe since 9.11. After 13 years, they still dread terrorist attacks and they still dread the threat of war.

America increasingly rejects the idea of war. In Iraq and in Syria, U.S. President Barak Obama and his administration refuse to countenance any escalation to ground war. Obama’s foreign policy has been subject to criticism and labeled as “soft”.

More and more people realize that though the U.S. is still a superpower, the era of U.S. dominance has gone. This is a bad news for the U.S.

This article was edited and translated from 《美国的恐惧》, source: People's Daily Overseas Edition, Author: Zhu Hong

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