Freeman And Intellectual Diversity

Fallows takes Chas Freeman's side:

I do know something about the role of contrarians in organizational life. I have hired such people, have worked alongside them, have often been annoyed at them, but ultimately have viewed them as indispensable. Sometimes the annoying people, who will occasionally say "irresponsible" things, are the only ones who will point out problems that everyone else is trying to ignore. A president needs as many such inconvenient boat-rockers as he can find -- as long as they're not in the main operational jobs. Seriously: anyone who has worked in an organization knows how hard it is, but how vital, to find intelligent people who genuinely are willing to say inconvenient things even when everyone around them is getting impatient or annoyed. The truth is, you don't like them when they do that. You may not like them much at all. But without them, you're cooked.

If Freeman were the only source of influence within the administration on the Middle East, the concerns would be reasonable. But he isn't; and his inclusion is a refreshing dash of realism - and an important sign that the Obama administration is captive to no single party, cocoon, lobby or ideology in foreign policy.