Epidemics, disasters, wars, famine, coups, regimes of autocratic rulers, all have a historical similarity associated with them — they give rise to disaster capitalism. These acts of violence are almost always followed by an uptick in neoliberal economic practices, which further result in trade liberalisation, largescale privatisation of natural resources, eradication of welfare schemes and subsidies, and the eventual destruction of common goods.
The chaos that is currently ensuing in Afghanistan has been strategically backed by the likes of China and Russia, since the withdrawal of the United States left a power gap in the country. While Beijing’s interest in Kabul has been presumed as an action to manage threats — given the US’s presence in the area was seen as a political threat — its acts can be perceived as a way to manage its resource security in the region due to its commercial and economic interests in Afghanistan. China’s eventual goal is to mine out Afghanistan’s rich mineral resources; the war-torn country is sitting on deposits worth $1 trillion or more, including what may be the world’s biggest deposit of lithium reserves.