Mr. Hanson compares our involvement in Vietnam with the Athenian invasion of Sicily, when a more accurate comparison would be Athens and the Soviet Union. Military adventures are not good for any nation’s health, regardless of its form of government, unless they lead to a quick and decisive victory. The Syracusan Expedition and the war against Afghanistan were major factors in the downfall of their respective countries. By accepting reality and getting out, the United States positioned itself to be the single world power today. Wouldn’t it be ironic if some future Thucydides writes that the saviors of the American way were Abbie Hoffman and the SDS?