My heart goes out to the families of American soldiers coming home in body bags months after the president happily announced that his Iraq war was over.

When will the Bush League recognize that its policies are not working? The war and occupation of both Afghanistan and Iraq are only winning new converts to al-Qaida, Hamas, the Taliban and a host of new anti-American organizations and huge masses of people.

America has proven that the world cannot be taken over and controlled by even the mightiest military force ever assembled. Like Rome, America is feeling its failure. The families of dead American boys are suffering. And every patriotic American is feeling guilt.

It is time to try love. It is time to win the hearts and minds of the people, instead of driving them into misery, despair and suicide bombing.

First we should recognize the concerns of other nations of the world. Since Iraq and Afghanistan, if Iran, Syria and Palestine cannot trust America, perhaps other nations should take over rebuilding the nations we have destroyed.

Second we should let the people in those nations run their own countries without the domination of American soldiers and oil tycoons.

Third we should follow the Eisenhower and Marshall Plan to rebuild the world we destroyed before we give tax breaks to the wealthy, oil rights to cronies, and run America into deeper debt.

Let’s return to the belief in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people.

Bill Ellis, Rangeley

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