What are the 11 lessons that McNamara mentions in the film?

McNamara reflects on both the good and bad, that director Errol Morris parcels out in the format of 11 life lessons.

  • EMPATHIZE WITH YOUR ENEMY.
  • RATIONALITY WILL NOT SAVE US.
  • THERE’S SOMETHING BEYOND ONE’S SELF.
  • MAXIMIZE EFFICIENCY.
  • PROPORTIONALITY SHOULD BE A GUIDELINE IN WAR.
  • GET THE DATA.

Is McNamara a realist?

Realism as a popular theory emerged in the aftermath of World War II and remained important throughout the Cold War era. McNamara’s views are best viewed through the realist lens as he looks back on the Vietnam conflict and other Cold War conflicts such as the Cuban Missile Crisis.

How did McNamara feel about the Vietnam War?

McNamara said he ceased to believe that the Vietnam War could be won not long after American combat troops were committed to the conflict in 1965.

What does McNamara mean by empathize with your enemy?

Empathy, for McNamara, was a strategic weapon of the Cold War. It was one of their ways of beating the Russians. If you understand your enemy better than they understand you, then you are more likely to be victorious.

What was lesson #10 in the fog of war?

Lesson #10: Never say never. McNamara believed the ultimate responsibility for the Vietnam War was on the president and says that, had Kennedy lived, the situation would have unfolded more desirably. In 1968, he resigned as Secretary of Defense (or was fired) and became president of the World Bank.

What is the most important lesson from fog of war?

1. Empathize with your enemy. McNamara stated this several times and kept coming back to this basic theme throughout the documentary. His prime example was the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when Tommy Thompson, a former U.S. ambassador to the U.S.S.R.

What is the message of the fog of war?

The fog of war (German: Nebel des Krieges) is the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding one’s own capability, adversary capability, and adversary intent during an engagement, operation, or campaign.

What does Rationality will not save us mean?

Human beings are rational creatures, but rationality won’t save us from making mistakes. Knowing this, it is imperative to stay out of situations where control can be lost. If a situation can escalate, stay out of that situation.

Was McNamara an effective leader?

Robert S. McNamara (1916-2009) was the most powerful American Secretary of Defense in history and in many ways the architect of the modern war on terror. He was an immensely talented and successful man, whose career went up like a rocket from the beginning.

What did Robert McNamara lie about?

(Later investigations showed the attack never happened.) Testifying before the Senate, McNamara lied, denying any American involvement in the Tonkin Gulf attacks: “Our Navy played absolutely no part in, was not associated with, was not aware of any South Vietnamese actions, if there were any.”

What is the meaning of the fog of war?

Is the fog of war on Netflix?

Rent The Fog of War (2003) on DVD and Blu-ray – DVD Netflix.