War not the decision of the military

"War is too important to be left to generals."
-- GEORGES CLEMENCEAU

When I said the other day that it was time for the United States to get out of Afghanistan, one of the comments was that since President Barack ObamaBarack Obama had no military experience, he should leave that decision to his generals.

Wrong.

It's one thing to say that civilian authorities shouldn't micromanage wars, that they should listen to the men and women in the field when it comes to tactics. But the decision of whether to go to war -- or whether to continue wars -- should never be left to the military itself.

Almost by definition, military leaders have a "can do" attitude. One reason we were stuck in Vietnam for as long as we were was that Gen. William Westmoreland and others found it almost impossible to believe they weren't succeeding.

Military leaders don't have to assess national priorities. They don't have to decide whether to fund their mission while considering other lost opportunities.

All they have to do is the best job they can with the resources they are given.

That's all they should be doing here. Under the last administration, our military capabilities were stretched almost beyond the breaking point, with so many people sent on redeployment after redeployment that careers and family lives were damaged.

And to what end? If Iraq isn't an Islamic republic within five years after we leave, I'll be shocked.

If Afghanistan doesn't remain a failed state, it'll be because God dropped everything else.

We need to get out now.

No matter what the neocons and war hawks say.