Jamie,

This is turning into more of a debate than I intended. As I indicated, my thoughts on EXIT STRATEGY is that it should be a high level foreign policy (what are our [the US's] goals) issue and then a military implementation, in as much as fortune and enemy capability permit. However, and there is always a however, the US is probably one of the coolest democracies that has ever existed (at least in my lifetime). We, the people, actually believe that we run the government. And to a great extent, we do. So that involves public debate of things that in most countries/governments would never be exposed to public commentary. And when you factor in the Internet, well Katy, bar the door.

I will now don my flameproof suit and say that I have always liked the idea that the US military is ultimately answerable to the civilian government. And the civilian government, to great extent, is answerable to the people, from whence the military comes. Seems kind of symmetric.