I have a mixed reaction. On the one hand, I would like to think that the top brass would stick around so that Obama doesn't stick it to the troops. Takes more guts to stick around and fight the stupidity to the end than it does to quit. This hari-kari symbolism bullshit is a sign of weakness. It takes more strength to carry on even when you know that it's going to get a helluva lot worse before it gets better.
On the other hand, I understand the reluctance of being put in a position of having to obey orders that are disagreeable.
Still, I defer to my first position: I'd rather have someone like Stan McChrystal who will speak out at the risk of being fired. And I'd rather see Obama forced to fire general after general until it becomes obvious how incompetent Obama is in military affairs.
While I'm a mission-comes-first type, an officer should never abandon the troops if the mission is dumb, stupid or doomed to failure. And in my eyes, that's what these senior officers are doing. They're being selfish because they don't want to sully their precious reputations.
Who's going to look after the low-ranking troop in the foxhole?
