The Campaign Featured No Antiwar Position

Re “Destroying Iraq to Save It,” Opinion, Nov. 21: Michael Kinsley brings up the special uses of language during war, in which black means white, security means bombing towns, freedom means invasion and democracy means carnage. The generals are especially adept at this Orwellian perversion of language, which journalists ape without batting an eye. There is no question what this attack on truth does to public discourse at every level.

While Kinsley claims that the 47% who voted for John Kerry don’t know what to do about the war, the number of those who want immediate withdrawal is growing daily. Predictions about the chaos resulting from withdrawal are not just conjecture, but they are not convincing arguments for staying. It will be Iraqi chaos and no longer one of our doing. The only difference between withdrawing now and four years from now will be the body count. Those needless deaths -- and the thousands of other victims of war -- break through the fog of lies surrounding this war and confront us with the greatness of our failure.

Wake up, America! The unthinkable has already happened.

William DuBay

Costa Mesa

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Kinsley blunders badly in identifying the position of the Kerry candidacy with that of the American left. Kerry was a strongly pro-war candidate, not only voting to give the Bush administration the authority to invade Iraq but also repeatedly stating that he would continue to wage Bush’s war for an indefinite time if elected. This is not an “antiwar position” by any stretch of the imagination.

Just as with the U.S. invasion of Vietnam, many Americans suffer from feelings of confusion and ambiguity regarding the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which has killed more than 100,000 Iraqis to date. However, many other Americans recognize that the invasion is a horrible atrocity and must be ended immediately by withdrawal of U.S. troops, destruction of the 14 permanent military bases being built there by the U.S. and deployment of U.N. peacekeeping forces to maintain order until free and fair elections can be held and a legitimate Iraqi government, chosen by Iraqis, can be established. This is the real “antiwar position,” one that was not supported by either major party presidential candidate.

Any talk of “maintaining credibility,” “staying the course” or “you break it, you own it” is merely apologetics for U.S. power and the continuing needless death of Iraqis and Americans.

Stacy Bermingham

San Diego