While it was hard to catch in the never ending stream of supposed “news” coverage of some dead singing weirdo, one of the 20th century’s most important figures died this week: Robert S. McNamara. Best known as Kennedy & LBJ’s Secretary of Defense, essentially the man responsible for the US’ involvement in the Vietnam war, McNamara was also an executive at the Ford Motor Company. At Ford he is credited with the Falcon, and therefore virtually all of Ford’s subsequent small cars. McNamara also served in the USAAF in WW2, as well as a stint at the World Bank, seemingly the traditional home of disgraced members of the Executive branch.
To me he was always portrayed as a villian in history, both in the White House and at Ford. My eyes were opened to a new perspective when I viewed the Oscar-winning documentary “The Fog of War” a few years ago. It is literally a conversation with the man himself, and in it he reveals and reviews his errors, and draws lessons from them. It is truly wisdom passed on from an elder, and digestion of it should be required for anyone who find themselves in a position of leadership. McNamara breaks down his experience into eleven life lessons:
R.S. McNamara’s eleven life lessons
1. Empathize with your 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 often both wrong
8. Be prepared to reexamine 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
These lessons were foremost in his mind as not long before the documentary was made, McNamara wrote a book which applied many of these lessons unlearned had failed us in Vietnam:
Eleven lessons from the Vietnam War
1. We misjudged then — and we have since — the geopolitical intentions of our adversaries … and we exaggerated the dangers to the United States of their actions.
2. We viewed the people and leaders of South Vietnam in terms of our own experience … We totally misjudged the political forces within the country.
3. We underestimated the power of nationalism to motivate a people to fight and die for their beliefs and values.
4. Our judgments of friend and foe, alike, reflected our profound ignorance of the history, culture, and politics of the people in the area, and the personalities and habits of their leaders.
5. We failed then — and have since — to recognize the limitations of modern, high-technology military equipment, forces, and doctrine.
6. We failed, as well, to adapt our military tactics to the task of winning the hearts and minds of people from a totally different culture.
7. We failed to draw Congress and the American people into a full and frank discussion and debate of the pros and cons of a large-scale military involvement … before we initiated the action.
8. After the action got under way, and unanticipated events forced us off our planned course … we did not fully explain what was happening, and why we were doing what we did.
9. We did not recognize that neither our people nor our leaders are omniscient. Our judgement of what is in another people’s or country’s best interest should be put to the test of open discussion in international forums. We do not have the God-given right to shape every nation in our image or as we choose.
10. We did not hold to the principle that U.S. military action … should be carried out only in conjunction with multinational forces supported fully (and not merely cosmetically) by the international community.
11. We failed to recognize that in international affairs, as in other aspects of life, there may be problems for which there are no immediate solutions … At times, we may have to live with an imperfect, untidy world.
Underlying many of these errors lay our failure to organize the top echelons of the executive branch to deal effectively with the extraordinarily complex range of political and military issues.
In reality these lessons do not really limit themselves to the conflict in southeast Asia in the 1960s ad 1970s, in fact they apply to virtually any conflict between nation-states. Substitute the word ‘Iraq’ into any of these lessons and you will find that they apply. It is a shame that this level of review was not considered in 2002/2003. The human and monetary capital saved would have been astounding.
Isn’t the life and lessons of this man far more important to our country than a dead drug-addled, gender/race-confused, singing-dancing, whack-job? Why is the media so obsessed with the latter, and ignoring the former? Do any of you wonder why I don’t watch television anymore? If so your answer is found in this situation.
Instead of watching the 24hr news cycle’s circle jerk over “MJ”, pull up a chair and watch The Fog of War right here. (Or go rent the DVD if image quality and sync issues drive you crazy.) There are many, many moments within it that are profoundly thought-provoking – such as at the 42 minute mark. The depth and impact of these words about and on humanity truly put the meaninglessness of the gloved one in perspective.
Your brain will thank you for it.
Chuck, I rarely take exception to your words, but I will now.
Michael Jackson, as weird and as bizarre as he was, was *acquitted* of child molestation, in a courtroom and by a jury of his peers. He may or may not have been what you declare him to have been, but calling someone a ‘pedophile’ is STRONG, strong juju, like saying someone is a faggot, or accusing someone of murder, without having access to the data the jury saw. *I* didn’t see said data, and I seriously doubt *you* saw the data the Jackson jury saw (unless I’m wrong on that!).
He’s dead. I never was, and am not a fan of Jackson’s music, of his lifestyle, not his actions, not his bizarre existence. Given that, and in the spirit of this being a country of LAWS and not of MEN, he really ought to be left in whatever peace he may find. I think we owe him that much, not to promulgate our personal, unfounded-by-the-process-of-law opinions that, in and of themselves, only demean the utterer of those unfounded words.
Regardless of our flawed system of juris prudence, it *IS* what we have, and neither you not I can simply override that, and libel a man who’s no longer here to defend himself.
Rant off.
Point taken, and text amended. The media circus however is completely out of balance with his honest impact on our history.
Thriller one of the great albums of the current modern era IMHO…. but he was a tragic nut job… and the media circus that has gone on is just pathetic… even this far away from it…
RJM – I only know of his name… and think my thin pipes will annoy the hell out of me watching online so I’ll have to find the DVD
ta
Jerome
“The media circus however is completely out of balance with his honest impact on our history.”
Truer words you’ve not spoken, sir. I am *so* flippin’ over this BS (as I was w/Elvis, and any number of other departed celebrities) that I cannot tell you. This is just a symptom of why this world’s in the shape it’s in and AFAICT, just another ‘bread and circuses’ moment in our declining history.
Agree with non car editorial and McNamara view after the damage was done.
Ho Chi Minh was initially surprised that US didn’t want to back him, since he was mimicing George Washington by resisting European colonial occupation. US was obviously blind to the facts, and thats before it got really ugly on our part.
One doubts that POTUS 43 will have similar revelations.
Agree that the musicians death merits a paragraph in an obituary column in mass media, perhaps a longer article in music industry news.
But don’t forget, the mission of the mass media herd is to turn a profit, and they are delighted to sell what they think the consumer wants.
“One doubts that POTUS 43 will have similar revelations.”
I don’t doubt it at all: POTUS 43 is a carbon copy of his mom; snake mean, and singleminded in the convictions of his righteousness. I don’t doubt WHATSOEVER he’ll ever suffer a glimmer of shame, or of acknowledgment, regarding what he’s done to this country’s reputation. What we *ALLOWED* him to do it.
We most *assuredly* weren’t the world’s ‘golden child’ prior to 43, no doubt: Dumbya, however, removed ALL doubt as to how venal politics have gotten in this oligarc-er, democracy.
Ask me how I *really* feel…..
🙁
The chief goal in today’s culture is to become famous. Those seeking fame are not conflicted with worries about whether or not they are “good” or “bad” people…fame is its own reward. Of course, a huge contingent of people in the world are complicit in this…speaking of things that are out of balance, look at the popularity of amateur performance and “reality” shows as compared to actual entertainment value of such shite. We don’t care if professional athletes and those in the entertainment industry are criminals or adulterers or terrible people in general, because they are famous and that’s the only criterion that matters.
If you want a good example of current popular culture, look at the people smiling and clutching tickets to MJ’s funeral like they won the lottery. How others can see this tragi-comic stuff and not be as cynical as me is something I don’t understand. But then again, I have one of those trendy wristbands that says, “Misanthrope.”
“I have one of those trendy wristbands that says, “Misanthrope.—
Mark, I need one of those. Want one of mine, that sez, “curmudgeon?”
Well-stated post…truly a sad state.
🙂
Media circuses around celebrity deaths are always nauseating. I remember the moronically-repeating cycle of idiocracy that surround the last Pope’s death, and I agree with you. It was a fine a sample of global douchebaggery as the one that happened with Jackson’s.
But who’s to blame here? They say a business exists only to give it’s customers what they want. Did all those media outlets and their 24×7 cycle of Pope & King of Pop blather really go and ask their customers if they wanted all of this sewage on their screens? If so, then we have the media audience to blame. If not, then let’s blame the bastards who control the airwaves.
As for comparing the outcry over their deaths, you’re mistaken. McNamara’s responsibility for the wholesale murder of innocents should have been punished directly in _this_ life. Since it wasn’t, the best send-off we should give to him is to utterly ignore his passing. In that we have succeeded. We have done the right thing.
There is no comparison _whatsoever_ between the utter depravity of McNamara and the minor antics of Jackson.
It counts for _nothing_ to have ‘recognized’ his mistakes [with Errol Morris’ prompting] many years after they took place. He had ample opportunity to do so well before this time–most notably when he was SecDef for JFK and LBJ.
Those who try to paint themselves ‘thoughtful’ after committing heinous acts see pride, not humility, as a virtue.
“Wisdom passed on from an elder”? Nonsense. McNamara had access to the wisdom passed on from elders of many generations. None of it mattered to him when he was killing women and children. To what end should anyone care that he has ‘wisdom’ to pass on to us? No one should. His name should pass into the ages with never a second thought.
McNamara was a villain of history, and most deserving of that title. All future eulogies that don’t recognize this fact are a whitewash of lies.