To the editor:

What must we do as citizens to make our leaders realize that the time has come in this world of 7 billion-plus human beings that no nation of 300 million, no matter how powerful, can, of itself, guarantee the peace beyond its own borders? Also that America’s interests are not the same as those of Israel in the Middle East. That our hopes for peace in Afghanistan can never be realized by pursuing an unwinnable war against its 27 million with a mere 50,000 troops compared to the millions who have tried it before and failed. Nor can we persuade 1.4 billion Muslims to convert to our predominately Christian values.

It is time to cut our losses and bring back home our troops from these stupid, unwinnable wars. We need not wait for death before judging those with the power to do this that have pursued this policy of sending more and more of our military into this bottomless pit. As citizens we must share the responsibility for these careless, foolish acts of our elected leaders.

History will hold us responsible as surely as it has held responsible the generations of Germans for the First and Second World Wars. Mr. Bush cost us our traditional high moral status from which to preach to others. Now we must act to regain it. Surely Vietnam must have taught us something? Certainly it taught us the limits of our power. Also it taught us that in the democracy of the dead all persons are equal.