It is very rare for a country to involve itself so deeply in the affairs of another country without an ulterior motive. If NATO countries are fighting in Afghanistan, they are doing it only for their own sake. They are not the least bit interested in what happens to Afghans and Afghanistan. If in the process of their work, some Afghans benefit, they claim the credit, but they don’t care either way.
Let us face it, Pakistani government is not our best friend either. Fair enough, they let refugees in their country during the years of Soviet invasion and Afghans are still living there as refugees in somewhat peace of mind, but their intention is clear. They only want a government in Afghanistan that is more than just a friendly neighbour. The same goes for Iran and even India.
Consequently, whenever there is a discussion about Afghanistan among Afghans, there is hardly a time that blames do not go towards some outsider. Some blame America, some blame Pakistan, some other blame Iran, and some blame all of them. While there is no doubt all these countries played us over the years, what people forget is a great deal of blame falls on us too. A puppeteer without his puppets is nobody. His art can only exist if he has puppets.
There is a saying in Dari, “از ماست که بر ماست” “Az maast ke bar maast”. It translates to “It is from us, which is upon us.” Certainly external forces have been a big factor in the destruction of Afghanistan, but we as Afghans have done enough. Keeping a balanced view, we should accept that we share enough responsibility. Some took part in ruining the country as foreign proxies, others for personal gain and some both. Next discussing who to blame for the misfortunes of Afghanistan, do not forget to mention “Afghans” too.
