I'm reading various things about Obama's firing of Gen Stanley McChrystal, most of which describes the action as necessary, and some even as 'masterful', but the reality is that we just hit the snooze button for a second time on a wake up call that says we are really, really screwed in Afghanistan.

...and its the President's fault.

Obama fired Gen David McKiernan, ostensibly because he resisted Petraeus' counter-insurgency strategy, but the very fact that he was fired--something that has happened extremely rarely in the history of the armed forces, suggests that the action was motivated by something more than poor performance. The Bush administration dealt with Gen Casey by promoting him out, which allowed for new tactics in theater, and preserved a fine officer's dignity.

McChrystal's firing is superficially understandable--insubordination is a serious matter in the military, but its designed to lull civilians who don't understand that insubordination is a sign of a failed command. The discipline meted out for insubordination is a last ditch effort to maintain control by fear, where control by respect and confidence in the commander and the mission is no longer possible.

The replacement of McChrystal with Petraeus is supposed to be reassuring because it suggests continuity of strategy, but an understanding of that strategy reveals how this is all smoke and mirrors. Counter-insurgency relies heavily on nurturing relationships with tribal leaders, and taking McChrystal out and replacing him with a "stranger" is clearly problematic to the war effort. In time, Petraeus can probably reestablish the confidence and working relationships McChrystal has with our allies, but these people aren't stupid--if McChrystal can be so easily removed, so can Petraeus.

Put another way--if you were Karzai, would you be thinking Obama had your back, or considering real estate in Switzerland?

Judging from what can be gleaned from the Rolling Stone article, Obama could have nipped this problem in the bud, by simply establishing a relationship with McChrystal, which for various reasons, all of which are incomprehensible to me, he did not.

The fall out from Obama's discomfort with military personnel can be measured in blood, lives and treasure. His administrations rules of engagement have already cost American lives, and the time it takes Petraeus to get up to speed is no doubt going to cost a lot more lives which otherwise might have been saved.

Clearly war is serious business. Why doesn't Barack Obama get that?