<< There was never a 'rules-based world order'. We live purely in Pax Americana and every government exists at the pleasure of the United States.

Yes. However, Pax Americana did, at least initially, at least give semblance of established rules working. Now even that pretense is gone.

<< Afghanistan happened because America lost the will, not the ability. Had America gone the normal colonial route, Afghanistan would look a lot different today.

Eh. No. I am not sure where the concept this weird concept of 'bombing them to nothing did not help; we probably need to bomb them some more' comes from. I accept your premise that some of it is the question of will, but you have to admit that two decades with nothing to show for it is not.. great.

> bombing them to nothing did not help; we probably need to bomb them some more' comes from.

To be clear, bombing is not colonizing. Colonizing entails undoing the current culture and replacing it with your own. You don't replace culture with bombs, but rather by taking the young people, educating them in America, and then shipping them back a la Britain (among other things). You have to do this for several decades, or maybe even a century, maybe multiple centuries.

> However, Pax Americana did, at least initially, at least give semblance of established rules working

Sure... Such was in the interest of America