The film Fog of War by Morris is a documentary about the Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. McNamara was involved in many American events in his life time and he speaks about his participation concerning World War II. He was the executive of Ford Motor Company. He narrates the story of the Vietnam War and talks about his eleven lessons that can relate to everyday life.
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 the war
6. Get the data
7. Belief and seeing are both often wrong
8. Be prepared to re examine your reasoning
9. In order to good, you may need to engage in evil
10. Never say never
11. You cant change human nature
McNamara uses these lessons to justify and back up things that he does and says. He starts to talk about alot of the war in the beginning and lessons 1,4,5, and 6 have to do with the Vietnam War. He regrets the war but he also shows how he is morally affected by it. He shows his perspectives and shows the side of the government compared to the in country perspective. McNamara is very honest in the film. He shows death totals and graphic images. He talks about how soldiers should be honest with themselves and he admits on the mistakes that he made within the war. He admits that America didnt know how to handle this war and his job was to advice the president of foreign affairs but considers he didnt do a great job at that. His 11 ideas did not only relate to this war but all wars and how they could be affected.
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The film Fog of War by Morris is a documentary about the Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. McNamara was involved in many American events in his life time and he speaks about his participation concerning World War II. He was the executive of Ford Motor Company. He narrates the story of the Vietnam War and talks about his eleven lessons that can relate to everyday life.
ReplyDeleteMcNamara explains his eleven points as guidelines he follows. In 2-4 he talks about how rationality will not save us and there is something beyond oneself. It maximize efficiency and we see life lessons. These three lesson seem to be points that one could use in everyday life. We see the first shift as he moves on to lessons 5-8.
The lessons deal with warfare, especially number 5. Proportionality should be a guideline in war. He didn't follow his own lesson when he ordered the bombing of Tokyo. The second shift in his reasoning comes in the last three, 9-11. In order to do good, you may have to engage in evil, never say never, and you cant change human nature, all seem to deal with rationalizations. It seems to me that McNamara is rationalizing with himself that he could not help the decisions he made, they had to be done.
McNamara is very honest in the film. He shows death totals and graphic images. He talks about how soldiers should be honest with themselves and he admits on the mistakes that he made within the war. He admits that America didnt know how to handle this war and his job was to advice the president of foreign affairs but considers he didnt do a great job at that. His 11 ideas did not only relate to this war but all wars and how they could be affected.