[Troubleshooter]

Just to toss in my pocket-change worth.

A small amount of discomfort, a little yelling, maybe a little slapping around, I'm cool with that. When sanity and health are called into question is when to quit. Not after you have to worry about it, but before.

As to prosecuting the war itself there should be little ambuguity in the choice of targets, there should be a willingness to go to all of the lengths that you say you are going to go to. When you say you are going to bomb someone even further into the stone age, you do it. When you say that you are going to pursue a limited form of engagement you meet those limitations. You let the opponent set the tone of the war, but you don't hold back.

When you are at war with an opponent who hides among civilians, the civilians get bombed. After that happens the civilians will put the military out to spare itself or not.

All it means is that you have to be consistent, willing to stick to what you say and flexible.

The moral highground sets the stage for others to know whether they can trust you or not. America is in the position to keep the moral highground and try to pull others up to it.