The end of war.

• Author: Steinsmith, William
• Position: Letter to the Editor

It was refreshing to note that Howard Zinn has explicitly stipulated the true character of World War II, which, like World War I, was essentially a struggle between two imperialist camps ("After the War," January issue).

William Steinsmith

Williamsburg, Virginia

Kudos to Howard for another great article. I know where he is coming from--I'm a Vietnam vet.

How can we prevent war? Zinn suggests we will be so burnt out over this one that we will be quite reluctant to get into another one.

What about the rest of the world? And how long will our "burnt out" condition last? Wars are very profitable. Where there's money to be made and politicians willing to meet corporate expectations in return for campaign contributions, then "enemies" will be invented and wars initiated. All in the name of profit.

A more thoroughgoing change is required if we are to avoid an eventual nuclear holocaust.

Bill Bokamper

via e-mail

I am sure there are those who will call Howard Zinn naive, foolish, or even a nutcase for advocating against all war. But when you think about it, there is no middle ground...