Are the generals at fault?

That's what Paul Yingling, an Army officer, says in the latest issue of Armed Forces Journal. He echoes what is not an uncommon argument - the generals are fighting the last war. They did it in Vietnam. They're doing it in Iraq. It certainly does seem odd that 30+ years after Vietnam they would still be unable to fight a guerilla war.

Yingling also accuses generals of a lack of courage in that they are unwilling to speak out when they know the strategy devised by civilians is wrong. And, they refuse to report reality, they prefer the dream.

Part of the problem is lack of exposure to different cultures and different ways of thinking. Only 25% of our generals speak a foreign language or hold advanced degrees in social sciences or the humanities. Another issue is the promotion system, which rewards conformity.

In Yingling's view it is not only the fault of the generals. Congress has not played its oversight role.