SLOW DOWN THERE, COWBOYS.

Neocon Fred Kagan and "Brookings Institution liberal" Michael O'Hanlon (author of the infamous "Skeptic's Case for the Surge") took to the New York Times yesterday to caution, "We need to think -- now -- about our feasible military options in Pakistan, should it really come to that."

Because any credible attempt to stabilize a collapsed Pakistan would take at least half a million troops, Kagan and O'Hanlon float the idea of sending American Special Ops forces to the country now -- diplomacy, shmiplomacy -- to secure nuclear weapons and prop up the Pakistani government. There's no mention of what or who that government would or should be, of course, or how the disgruntled Pakistani people would view such an intervention. Because what really matters is our "next big test" militarily -- nevermind learning the lessons of the exam we've already failed in Iraq.

--Dana Goldstein