The transition from Jim Jones to Thomas Donilon as National Security Advisor is unlikely to change anything of paramount importance. Donilon is not an ideas man at a time when a fresh strategic perspective is essential for breaking from our self destructive behavior in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Palestine and in the pervasive 'war on terror' generally. So long as General David Petraeus is allowed to call the shots with his legend on the line, and other senior administration officials are off on their own ego trips, costly miscalculations, as we've seen of late, will recur.