Sharp Tools

He *is* a five-year-old.

Let me get this straight. The military is driven after six years to offer feedback to its lawful civilian superior that his subordinate is, in the military's expert opinion, doing a suboptimal job, and that civilian's response is to 'dig in' at this 'revolt against civilian control of the military'?

In my experience, this is the reaction of a five year old who has been told he can't have ice cream for dinner. But in this case, the damage done is incalculable, and is done directly to that same tradition of civilian control. Civilian control of the military works not only because a piece of paper says it will be true; it works because the members of the military establishment trust the civilian leadership (or at least the system) to helm the ship. Tantrums like this don't help.

Posted by jbz at November 10, 2006 8:12 AM | TrackBack