Fog of War

[Pacifist Patriot]

Has anyone else seen The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317910/

The 11 Lessons are:

1. Empathize with the enemy
2. Rationality will not save us
3. There's something beyond one's self
4. Maximize efficiency
5. Proportionality should be a guideline in war
6. Get the data
7. Belief and seeing are both often wrong
8. Be prepared to re-examine your reasoning
9. In order to do good, you may have to engage in evil
10. Never say never
11. You can't change human nature.

I don't agree with all of his conclusions, but I found it to be a fascinating documentary. Clearly mistakes from Vietnam are being repeated today. I sat there wondering how Rummy would reminisce when he is 87 and looking back on all of the lives he is responsible for destroying. Whatever else, McNamara is a fascinating person.

Several times he makes the point that any honest military leader will admit to countless mistakes. Now who was it that said he couldn't recall a single mistake he's ever made?????

I whole-heartedly recommend the movie.

[mike_c]

1. I agree-- it was fascinating....

eom

[bunny planet]

2. I have it here in the house, haven't watched it yet. I hope to watch it

today or tommorrow. Thanks for the summary.

[BlueEyedSon]

3. Great movie, pretty heavy & content-rich. I feel like I need to see it

again......

[tmooses]

4. I saw the movie about a year ago and enjoyed it-McNamara is a

very complex (tortured?) individual who has had a front row seat on many of the major historical events in the late 20th century. The Philip Glass soundtrack weaved through the interview and, for me, gave
an eerie feel to hear about these events I had lived through through the eyes of someone so powerful. It was startling to realize how close we came to nuclear war in Cuba and if Kennedy had listened to all his
military advisor's like LeMay we would have been at war. The lesson I took from this movie was the danger of surrounding leaders with those of the same opinion. Kennedy only averted war because he listened to an
adviser who had a different take on Kruschev's motives. The parallels
to Bush here are striking.