I’ve argued that civ control is a crucial value. I agree that democratically elected ldrs have a right to be wrong.

But I’ve also argued that, for the civil-mil relationship to be healthy, civilian leadership must maintain legitimacy. How leaders behave affects their legitimacy. https://twitter.com/profsaunders/status/1247207359547654147

This is why the concept of “governance” (or, the good faith attempt to develop expertise and make good policy) is so critical to the civil-mil relationship and to the specific issue of “control”:

Ppl will follow a ldr who makes mistakes, if s/he owns them and learns.
But leaders who take no trouble to learn or read the room, who make mistakes and justify themselves ... eventually the follower’s belief in a duty of obedience weakens.

Democratic leadership is not despotic over the ppl who have volunteered for public service - in the military, the foreign service the civil service, or anywhere else. Ppl agree to serve BECAUSE they trust that their leaders will make a good faith effort to govern well.