Regarding The Washington Post article by Condoleezza Rice that ran in The Japan Times on Nov. 21 ("America must act as conflict builds in Mideast"): It has been said that the political choice in the United States is between the "Evil Party" and the "Stupid Party."

Judging from Rice's article, she is helping the Republican Party earn the Stupid Party title. How can former President George W. Bush's national security adviser advocate for more military intervention in the Middle East? It may be true that the current boundaries of Mideast countries were drawn arbitrarily, but for better or worse, the people of that region are trying to rectify the situation by rebelling against tyrannical leaders.

The U.S. is in a no-win situation: If a new tyrant emerges (in Syria, for instance), the U.S. will be blamed for "failed leadership"; if a democratic society emerges, it will be immediately denounced by minority parties as a "puppet of the American empire."

The only sensible course of action is to let those who have the greatest stake in the conflict to sort it out themselves. The U.S. needs to stop doing the same thing and expecting different results.

joseph jaworski

The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.