McNamara's Fog of War

I feel to have both grown as a learner and as a student of the Vietnam War because of watching this documentary. Regardless of what you believe about the decisions McNamara has made and the kind of person he has become throughout his rather interesting life, I think respect must be given when respect is due. The man has worked in high positions in multiple wars, served as the Secretary of Defense under two different presidents, attended both Berkeley and Harvard (two of the nation's best universities), been promoted to the President of one of the largest U.S. automobile companies (Ford), and even served as the President of the World Bank. Quite a resume if I must say and to not at least respect what the man has to say is rediculous. Knowing this, just from the fact that I was able to listen to him offer advice and voice his opinions for a couple of hours was beneficial to me. Not to mention we were able to be opened to a whole new point of view on the Vietnam War we had not been yet exposed to in this class.

In "Trip to Hanoi" we were able to see from the other side of the playing field (the Vietnamese), in "Platoon" and "Full Metal Jacket" we were able to get a feel for what it was like to be a soldier in the day to day activites of war, in "The Things They Carried" we were able to better grasp the thoughts and emotions running through an individual soldiers mind, in "Hearts and Minds" we were able to sympathize with anyone involved in the casulaties of the war, and now in "Fog of War" we were able to get a perspective from a lead figure in U.S. government.

Robert McNamara is a figure that I believe to be both genuine and good intentioned just from the feel and vibe I get from his interviews. Take into consideration, he has been able to sustain a family with wife and kids throughout the unimaginable ups and downs of his lifetime. This already a rare accomplishment in present day America just for the average citizen and for him to have kept his family together through the thick and thin shows me he has a good heart.

I thought that this documentary was well constructed and some of the rhetorical tools used were very effective. I like the fact that we were provided with recorded phone calls between McNamara and the Presidents of their respective times. These phone calls were placed in strategic parts of the film between certain scenes and interviews that really emphasized what the calls were about. This particular element providing me with a since of credability for the film in that the topics being discussed reflected actual conversations taken place during the time. Also, McNamara's 11 lessons from war kept the documentary in a orderly flow that really helped us viewers keep up with where his ideas were coming from. Its hard to relate to what a person has to say about a certain issue without knowing what lead that person to think and behave in that certain way. In fact, I believe this according to him, was the difference in winning the Cold War and (label however you want) the Vietnam War. The fact that we knew more about where the Russians were coming from and what they wanted out of the war where as our vision and outlook on the Vietnam War was skewed to that of the Vietnamese. We saw it as an element of the Cold War, they saw it as a Civil War.

From our required materials so far I believe this to be the most beneficial. From a Vietnam War stand point, I think this documentary was the most beneficial because it seems the root of the confusion in this war started with the U.S. government and we were now able to get an idea of what was going through a key figures mind. How are we supposed to get to the bottom of the confusion without getting to its sourse? McNamara was able to provide us with another perspective on the war and on the topic of rationality that we seem to have covered pretty thoroughly in class this past week, having more sides to something = more rational conclusion. From just a person viewing this film stand point, I was able to take his 11 lessons and apply them to life's lessons. I could only dream to have the career and amount of money he has made through his life and if these are some of the 11 lessons he believes he has accumualted, the quote "I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger" comes to mind - I think I'm going to get a head start.