Subject: WE CAN WIN: LARRY, AMERICANS ARE NOT WEARY OF THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM. WE ARE WEARY OF THE WAR IN IRAQ. WE FEEL THAT THE IRAQ WAR WAS AT BEST A MISTAKE OR AT WORST A CON JOB ON THE AMERICA PEOPLE. WE ARE NOT RELAXED INTO A FALSE CONFIDENCE. RATHER WE HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN HOW THE STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM, A STRUGGLE WE SUPPORT, IS BEING PROSECUTED. WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN HOW POWERFUL AMERICA IS. RATHER, WE QUESTION WHETHER OUR LEADERS’ OVER RELIANCE ON BRUTE FORCE IS MISPLACED, MISUSED AND INEFFECTIVE. WE SENSE THAT THE STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM IS ONLY PARTIALLY A MILITARY STRUGGLE AND OVERWHELMINGLY A STRUGGLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS. IT IS NOT THAT WE ARE RETICENT TO USE MILITARY MIGHT. GIVEN ITS TERRIBLE DESTRUCTIVE POWER, WE AR RETICENT TO USE IT UNWISELY. ALTHOUGH WE WERE THOROUGHLY HUMILIATED IN THE VIETNAM WAR, WE WON THE LARGER WAR, THE COLD WAR. WE WILL WIN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, AND WE WILL WIN IT SOONER AND WITH LESS COST ONCE WE BEGIN TO WEAN OURSELVES FROM OUR OVER RELIANCE ON MILITARY POWER. TO ADMIT FAILURE IN IRAQ WILL NOT, SHOCKING AS IT MAY SEEM, JEOPARDIZE OUR STRUGGLE AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, EXCEPT PERHAPS IN THE VERY SHORT TERM. PERHAPS IF WE ADOPT THE LESS ARROGANT AND MORE MEASURED POLICY OF CONTAINMENT RATHER THAN OUTRIGHT VICTORY, WE WILL ONCE AGAIN TRIUMPH BASED ON OUR INNER STRENGTH RATHER THAN OUTWARD SHOW OF MILITARY FORCE. A

RESPONSE: You make so many important points here. We understand that our efforts ultimately will be in showing people that our ideas, ideals and principles are worthy of emulating. Of couse Bush has betrayed those very principles and is relying on forced conversion to Democracy. In so many ways he has made us more like them ... and this only makes the fight harder and longer. Staying the course in Iraq is only making in worse...bringing our brave soldiers home and partitioning Iraq in to three ethic areas under the UN is the wisest choice after the mess Bush has made.