I don't either, but this is the way the world works. Exiting powers create a vacuum. Expect to see more of Russia and China asserting themselves on the world stage now that the United States is no longer a credible military power.
It is hard to fathom such a level of confusion.
Politically, perhaps, but certainly not militarily. I.e., neither the Afghan Taliban nor Saddam Hussein's forces have the ability to mass forces or hold territory.