Robert McNamara, RIP
So, Robert McNamara has died. Although he served as Secretary of Defense long before my time, he was so maligned by so many people that I was surprised to find myself feeling sympathy for him after seeing Errol Morris' brilliant 2003 documentary The Fog of War.
Morris' point, of course, was to contrast the early days of Vietnam with the early days of Iraq. Somehow, though, the rank hypocrisy, the incompetence and the gall of Donald Rumsfeld somehow ennobles McNamara in my mind, for all his failings. Although he unleashed a terrible and pointless war, McNamara (at least) did so with sincere intentions, no?
Maybe now I'll sit down with that Halberstam book...
Morris' point, of course, was to contrast the early days of Vietnam with the early days of Iraq. Somehow, though, the rank hypocrisy, the incompetence and the gall of Donald Rumsfeld somehow ennobles McNamara in my mind, for all his failings. Although he unleashed a terrible and pointless war, McNamara (at least) did so with sincere intentions, no?
Maybe now I'll sit down with that Halberstam book...