critiques of the doctrine have suggested that it embodies "imperial feminism", the promotion of feminist values in order to justify militarism and a modern-day u.s. empire. another line of concern is that u.s. actions put women at risk over time, with particular attention to those who were encouraged to take a more prominent role in pushing for women's rights in afghanistan and anxiety for their safety following the planned withdrawal of u.s. forces from that country. indeed, hudson and leidl consider the condition of afghan women to be a litmus test for whether the hillary doctrine can achieve realization. other theories to explain the root causes of conflict and international instability also exist, such as the clash of civilizations hypothesis, democratic peace theory, and an emphasis on environmental poverty and scarcity.