The pain, misery and unbelievable waste of money and lives in Iraq is indisputable. Trying to assess personal responsibility and blame for who caused this mess is a Sisyphean task.The reason is simple: no one person caused these problems. A flawed system caused the problem. The overall context, or system, always overwhelms any individual's personal values. Put a good person in a bad situation and the bad situation always prevails.

That is why the lack of planning in Iraq was, and is , so significant. No social or political systems remained in place to enforce reasonable behavior or redress wrongs. It was inevitable that the mess we see today would emerge.

We constantly hear the drumbeat for the new savior to right the ship. One person can't do it - but the collective will of everyday people can make it happen.The real strength of the United States is the political institutions such as municipal laws, zoning regulations, small claims courts, the I.R.S.(probably the world's best tax collector) the FDA, our court system, etc etc. etc.

The truly ironic outcome of anti-government beliefs is that those who supported and encouraged the war in Iraq to protect democratic values hold those values in utter contempt. Hawks talk about protecting and spreading democratic values but apparently don't understand that our success as a country (so far) is that we have built up institutions which are messy and bureaucratic - but also create stability and fairness that exist in very few other countries around the world.

President Bush's mistake is that he is profoundly ignorant of the incredible system we have in this country - and how we got here. Otherwise he would never have talked about spreading democracy in the middle east, when their political, economic and social institutions are virtually nonexistent for building and fostering democracy.

Another ironic result of this war is that one person - or just a few - can wreak unbearable damage but it takes a whole country to solve the problems and build a viable society.

I firmly believe most Salon letter writers know the sad truth about Iraq. We know folly when we see it.

Yet we write - because we must. We cannot tolerate the intense pain and misery the U.S. has caused, and remain silent. Somehow this idea gives me a sense of optimism. I believe we can solve this problem, and if writing a letter helps, good for us. Evil eventually ends, as it will in Iraq.

How about this idea for a beginning to solving the dilemma:

Let us imagine that everyone in Iraq wants to live in peace.

And let us work with anyone - yes anyone, who will engage in any project that brings peace to the area. No project is too small - no person is off limits. But let us demand absolute accountability and transparency, and instantly stop funding projects when stated and agreed on objectives are not met.

Let's use NGOs, our own government offices, and anyone else who has expertise to get something done. And let's work with people who live and work in the area. Surely the global talent pool is deep, with all the rebuilding efforts that have gone on for the last 30 years

Of course this is preposterous isn't it? But what if we had an intelligent, persistent president who really wanted to make this work? Doesn't this idea sound just like running a decentralized business? With goals and standards that everyone understands.

I know all about Shiite and Sunni mullahs and warlords. Well, let them play too. It's a big party and everyone is invited. Let's have a really good time!

I have read the book and have heard Dr. Hosseini interviewed. I was moved by the book for its portrayal of the coexistence of sweetness,tenderness, respect and brutality, inhumanity and woeful ignorance.

The setting to this westerner was interesting and also puzzling. How could a tight knit and usually sensitive family sometimes behave so badly? How could a society that so respects strangers and values hospitality treats some of its citizens so poorly?

This was a searing portrait of a society in transition, and not necessarily forward. Was this just a portrait of Afghanistan? Unfortunately, I think not.

Is the U.S. so different? We must face our own dark side by looking at how we have demonized Iraq and been willing to spend vast fortunes to avoid dealing with our shadow.

While we have institutions within our country to protect us from our own government's fear-driven behavior, we abide by few of these institution's agreements outside our boundaries. (Think World Court, WTO, U.N.,Kyoto Accords etc.)

The Kite Runner serves as yet another warning sign that when a society fails to honor and respect all life, then only negative outcomes occur. Surely this is true for Afghanistan, but it's also true for us as well.

The Kite Runner is a powerful reminder that the rules of positive and caring behavior are universal; any country which fails to honor these rules will inevitably suffer the consequences.