Maybe Mr. Gates should just shut up and listen?

Mr. Gates today has been complaining about allies in Afghanistan who have lost their taste for American imperialism.

“Frankly, there is too much talk about leaving and not enough talk about getting the job done right,” Mr. Gates said. “Too much discussion of exit and not enough discussion about continuing the fight. Too much concern about when and how many troops might redeploy and not enough about what needs to be done before they leave.”

Let me make it easy, Mr. Gates. There's only one thing to do before you leave: Apologize. To America, to the world, and especially to the people of Afghanistan. You screwed up. Don't make it worse by pretending there's any rational course to "stay."