I finally got around to seeing the deservedly award-winning The Fog Of War and it's a fascinating study of Robert S. McNamara - a man who's obviously haunted by his role in the firebombing of Tokyo in 1945 and the many deaths that took place under his orders as Secretary of Defense during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.
Here are the ten lessons he's learned from his life in public office and beyond. I think they are more relevant than ever and show a man who's willing to analyze the things he's done, even if he'll never admit direct responsibility.
Lesson One
The human race will not eliminate war in this century, but we can reduce the brutality of war- the level of killing- by adhering to the principles of a "Just War," in particular to the principle of "proportionality."
Lesson Two
The indefinite combination of human fallibility and nuclear weapons will lead to the destruction of nations
Lesson Three
America is the most powerful nation on earth- economically, politically and militarily- and is likely to remain so for decades. But it IS not omniscient.
If it cannot persuade other nations with similar interests and values of the merits of its proposed use of that power, it should not proceed unilaterally except in the unlikely requirement to defend directly the continental US.
Lesson Four
Moral priniciples are often ambiguous guides to foreign policy and defence policy, but surely it can be agreed that we should establish as a major goal of foreign policies across the globe: the avoidance in this century of the carnage - 160 million dead - caused by conflict alone in the 20th century.
Lesson Five
America, the richest nation in the world, has failed in its responsibility to its own poor and the disadvantaged across the world to help them advance their welfare in the most fundamental terms of nutrition, literacy, health and employment.
Lesson Six
Corporate executive must recognize there is no contradiction between a soft heart and a hard head. Of course, they have responsibilities to stockholders, but they also have responsibilities to their employees, their customers and society as a whole.
Lesson Seven
President Kennedy believed a primary responsibility of a president - indeed the primary responsibility of a president - is to keep the nation out of war, if at all possible.
Lesson Eight
War is a blunt instrument by which to settle disputes between or within nations, and economic sanctions are rarely effective. Therefore, we should build a system of jurisprudence based on the International court - that the US has REFUSED to support - which would hold individuals responsible for crimes against humanity.
Lesson Nine
If we are to deal effectively with terrorists across the globe we must develop a sense of empathy - I don't mean "sympathy," but rather "understanding" - to counter their attacks on the western world.
Lesson Ten
One of the greatest dangers we face today is the risk that terrorists will obtain access to weapons of mass destruction as a result of the breakdown of the Non-Proliferation regime. We in the US are contributing to that breakdown.
Don't worry. Fun content is coming tomorrow, when I finally read some new comics.
Here are the ten lessons he's learned from his life in public office and beyond. I think they are more relevant than ever and show a man who's willing to analyze the things he's done, even if he'll never admit direct responsibility.
The human race will not eliminate war in this century, but we can reduce the brutality of war- the level of killing- by adhering to the principles of a "Just War," in particular to the principle of "proportionality."
Lesson Two
The indefinite combination of human fallibility and nuclear weapons will lead to the destruction of nations
Lesson Three
America is the most powerful nation on earth- economically, politically and militarily- and is likely to remain so for decades. But it IS not omniscient.
If it cannot persuade other nations with similar interests and values of the merits of its proposed use of that power, it should not proceed unilaterally except in the unlikely requirement to defend directly the continental US.
Lesson Four
Moral priniciples are often ambiguous guides to foreign policy and defence policy, but surely it can be agreed that we should establish as a major goal of foreign policies across the globe: the avoidance in this century of the carnage - 160 million dead - caused by conflict alone in the 20th century.
Lesson Five
America, the richest nation in the world, has failed in its responsibility to its own poor and the disadvantaged across the world to help them advance their welfare in the most fundamental terms of nutrition, literacy, health and employment.
Lesson Six
Corporate executive must recognize there is no contradiction between a soft heart and a hard head. Of course, they have responsibilities to stockholders, but they also have responsibilities to their employees, their customers and society as a whole.
Lesson Seven
President Kennedy believed a primary responsibility of a president - indeed the primary responsibility of a president - is to keep the nation out of war, if at all possible.
Lesson Eight
War is a blunt instrument by which to settle disputes between or within nations, and economic sanctions are rarely effective. Therefore, we should build a system of jurisprudence based on the International court - that the US has REFUSED to support - which would hold individuals responsible for crimes against humanity.
Lesson Nine
If we are to deal effectively with terrorists across the globe we must develop a sense of empathy - I don't mean "sympathy," but rather "understanding" - to counter their attacks on the western world.
Lesson Ten
One of the greatest dangers we face today is the risk that terrorists will obtain access to weapons of mass destruction as a result of the breakdown of the Non-Proliferation regime. We in the US are contributing to that breakdown.
Don't worry. Fun content is coming tomorrow, when I finally read some new comics.
