As a combat veteran of World War II, I have been comparing that war with the wars now being fought in the Middle East. I regret that we are losing the wars in the Middle East and the possibility of winning looks bleak. Our problem is not with our service personnel or equipment. Our problem is the lack of leadership in Washington. Because we, the citizens, are responsible for the executive and the congressional branches of our government, the blame drops right into our laps. We don’t bother to inform ourselves about candidates and the issues facing the nation — we place too much judgment on personalities and party politics. The biggest difference between the wars is that the draft was used in World War II and the war affected everyone. Today, you can walk down the street and see nothing indicating we are in a war — maybe a car with a faded “Support the Troops” sticker. Just a few days ago, it was front-page news that four of our servicemen were killed in Afghanistan.