Our pride in the U.S. military’s men and women is bound to increase even further. Why? In this war their demonstrated bravery, competence, and daring are barely diminished by bureaucratic and political dishonesty.

Lies from the top in any organization demoralize and diminish those below. This is true for churches and colleges as well as the military. Unlike the Vietnam period, today’s leaders can’t lie with impunity. In open societies, truth is no longer the first casualty of war.

Incentives to lie have not changed, but both technology and culture have evolved dramatically. Leaders try to mold information and have strong temptations to lie. LBJ’s Tonkin Gulf Resolution of Vietnam infamy is a classic historical example.

The Pentagon’s briefings of that era, the infamous “5 o’clock Follies,” are not sustainable in today’s environment. Early in their careers General Tommy Franks and other military leaders learned that senior officials’ lying cost public support. In open, democratic societies, with volunteer armed forces, public support is critical to sustaining armed conflict.

No one respects an exposed liar. LBJ could lie knowing that only history would catch him. George W. Bush lacks this opportunity. Today information flows with no dam to check it. It is ever more difficult to fabricate facts or hide truth. There are many sources of information and few of them can be constrained. Cell phones now transmit pictures via satellite. This exemplifies fundamental shifts in war’s political environment.

Clark S. Judge of the White House Writers Group recently noted in the Wall Street Journal: “When a crippling public relations battle looms, the first issue is not who spins best.... The issue is who becomes the standard of truth.”

Note how careful Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and General Franks are in their briefings. They know we can see warfare in real time and from multiple perspectives. Yes, they will make errors in their briefings and surely will attempt to influence public perceptions. To sustain credibility they must correct reported inconsistencies, for there are about 600 journalists embedded with allied forces, reporting virtually without censorship. The information genie is out of the bottle.

Compounding the new difficulties of imposing censorship are the implications of an all-volunteer armed service. This has produced a military force that is, as Secretary of State Colin Powell rightly maintains, “the best we’ve ever had -- professional young people, serving their country willingly, just as patriotic and dedicated as any group of Americans you’ll ever find.” It’s difficult to lie to such people. Consider the Special Ops troops. They are older, college educated, and predisposed by training and temperament to reject dishonesty, incompetence, and deception.

A volunteer military dramatically changes incentives. First, it imposes a serious constraint on political ambitions requiring force. Unlike Saddam, we can’t treat conscripts as cannon fodder. The U.S. can’t sustain military action without broad political and social support. (Despite the intensive coverage of war protestors, the approval rating for President Bush hovers around 70 percent.)

Our military requires people who can handle high technology. And the military must match the foregone opportunities of recruits. They can do this in multiple currencies, everything from adventure to education to day care. The result? Quality and morale are way up.

Our world has indeed changed, and not only for military leaders. Those in other governmental agencies, corporations, and even universities now face the inevitable force of truth.

Although the stakes are highest in the military, for lives are at risk, these forces operate in universities, businesses, and churches. It’s ever more difficult to lie. Leaders who lie don’t last. Truth is a very stubborn thing. And it comes out ever faster.