I'm not surprised by the polls. The smartest thing Obama has done has been to push transparency and the truth in budgeting, etc. Defending the indefensible gets very tiring after a while: any psychiatrist knows that lying and covering up take a psychic toll -- and it is a great relief to be able to look at what is going on honestly. That is why the cult of secrecy (and which, alas, the Obama administration is still piddling around with in the justice system) is so dreadful in a democracy, and needs to be disentangled from the military needs.

A related piece of smartness is allowing photographs of returning coffins. That was another example of hiding the truth. In Canada, this has not for a moment altered anyone's views of the war, but it gave the weight of the burden dignity. The arguments pro and con suddenly became adult. Our beloved Prime Minister, who I despise, nevertheless has decided that honesty about our goals in Afghanistan is the best policy, and he is right. The opposition howls, but he is right. It makes no sense in a democracy to lie about war.

yours,

Peter T.