The US and its allies lost the moment they chose nation building in Afghanistan. We spent more in Helmand Province than we did in the Marshall Plan. It became about creating a state rather than defeating an enemy. That state became completely predatory and we chose to ignore it. We essentially tried to "fix" the graveyard of empires.

A lot of people got rich off of it. But the goal was never to actually 'win." That's bad for business. There was no "win" state in Afghanistan unless the Taliban and other groups such as IS-K signed an agreement to end the conflict. That was never possible. The pitch was to "degrade" them enough so that government institutions could begin administering services. Well, the US and allies would chase the Taliban away, welcome in the Afghan government, which then began treating the local populations, particularly in Kandahar and Helmand horribly because the "local government" consisted of people from northern Afghanistan such as Tajiks and Uzbeks who HATED Pashtuns. After the Battle of Marjah, the US forces talked about "Government In a Box." The Taliban were back in Marjah within a few months. The government never had any legitimacy outside of Kabul.

This is what we spent trillions on. Do you think we were there to win? The Taliban waited until the time was right and the regime and the military collapsed within weeks. It was a mirage. This is because we never intended to win. The mirage was for investors and shareholders, not for the Afghan people.