Robert McNamara: The "Whiz Kid"

Robert McNamara was an American businessman and the longest serving Secretary of Defense. He served under Presidents John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson from 1961 to 1968. McNamara “oversaw hundreds of military missions, thousands of nuclear weapons and billions of dollars in military spending and foreign arms sales including both the Vietnam and Cold War.” McNamara is credited with leading Americans into the war in Vietnam and spending his life trying to grapple with the consequences of his decisions.

11 Lessons from Robert S. McNamara

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 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

 

His reflections on the war and the lessons he had come to realize about war can be seen in the documentary The Fog of War. This film won an Oscar in 2003 for best film and for good reason. When I first began watching this documentary I was skeptical about McNamara and his genuineness. I didn't know what his intentions were for being a part of this documentary, however I was pleasantly surprised. Despite all of the horrible tragedies that resulted in his actions, whether direct or indirect, by the end of this film forgiveness and sympathy is all I felt. I can't begin to fathom what it must've been like carrying the burden of so many travesties for as long as he did. He admitted that he made mistakes and although he avoided some questions, for the most part he owned up to his actions. The final lesson of the documentary: "You can't change human nature" is the most honest and real part of the film.

Sources:

Tim Wiener, Robert S. McNamara, Architect of a Futile War, Dies at 93, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/us/07mcnamara.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick, The Untold History of the United States