[syrrim]

Afghanistan is a relatively poor, undeveloped country, yet they just demonstrated their sovereignty in your sense against the most capable country on earth. Of course, if the US wanted to they could have steamrolled afghanistan - but they didn't. What changed is that the willingness to destroy people in war evaporated, and so the ability in theory to conquer a country, and the willingness to do so given the costs it would entail diverged significantly. This might be particular to the west, and countries like china or russia don't care as much. But they are living in the world created by US hegemony, which in large part entails playing by the US' rules.

[worrycue]

> What changed is that the willingness to destroy people in war evaporated, and so the ability in theory to conquer a country, and the willingness to do so given the costs it would entail diverged significantly. This might be particular to the west, and countries like china or russia don't care as much.

The USSR tried to invade and occupy Afghanistan too. Lasted less than 10 years despite being next door.

[mlindner]

Correction: The US has never tried to occupy Afghanistan. So there is no "too".

[pfannkuchen]

Yeah I’ll buy that, Afghanistan is sovereign. Terrain matters! Switzerland may be as well.