Comments on: McNamara: A War Criminal, a Liar, and a Director of the Washington Post company http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/07/06/mcnamara-a-war-criminal-a-liar-and-a-director-of-the-washington-post-company/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:20:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jim Bovard http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/07/06/mcnamara-a-war-criminal-a-liar-and-a-director-of-the-washington-post-company/comment-page-1/#comment-171825 Jim Bovard Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:26:28 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/?p=5880#comment-171825 Fascinating! Oh, the off-color humor opportunities that this presents.... Fascinating!

Oh, the off-color humor opportunities that this presents….

]]> By: Robert Wenzel http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/07/06/mcnamara-a-war-criminal-a-liar-and-a-director-of-the-washington-post-company/comment-page-1/#comment-171746 Robert Wenzel Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:38:23 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/?p=5880#comment-171746 In Alice Schroder's book about Warren Buffett, Snowball, she mentions that Post owner Kay Graham was dating McNamara. Apparently, Buffett and McNamara were rivals for Graham's attention. In Alice Schroder's book about Warren Buffett, Snowball, she mentions that Post owner Kay Graham was dating McNamara.

Apparently, Buffett and McNamara were rivals for Graham's attention.

]]> By: DrFix http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/07/06/mcnamara-a-war-criminal-a-liar-and-a-director-of-the-washington-post-company/comment-page-1/#comment-171666 DrFix Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:31:12 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/?p=5880#comment-171666 The hubris and arrogance exhibited by pointy headed bean counters in positions of power. They "do" things because they "can" and because they're allowed to get away with it. No ultimate accountability other than the grave. Which reminds me of that story, or joke, about how the Americans spent oodles of cash to develop a pen that writes in weightlessness and how the practical Russians simply used a pencil. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. The hubris and arrogance exhibited by pointy headed bean counters in positions of power. They "do" things because they "can" and because they're allowed to get away with it. No ultimate accountability other than the grave.

Which reminds me of that story, or joke, about how the Americans spent oodles of cash to develop a pen that writes in weightlessness and how the practical Russians simply used a pencil. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

]]> By: DrFix http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/07/06/mcnamara-a-war-criminal-a-liar-and-a-director-of-the-washington-post-company/comment-page-1/#comment-171665 DrFix Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:25:39 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/?p=5880#comment-171665 Are you sure that two million dead Vietnamese and about sixty thousand Americans was worth "containing" Marxist world domination? We trade with these people regularly now so what exactly did all the containment do other than keep the undertakers busy? And I really have to laugh when people say we were "invited".... LOL! Yeah, right. And there are WMD's in Iraq, Clinton didn't inhale, the BATF is only here to help you etc. etc. etc. ad-nauseum. Are you sure that two million dead Vietnamese and about sixty thousand Americans was worth "containing" Marxist world domination? We trade with these people regularly now so what exactly did all the containment do other than keep the undertakers busy?

And I really have to laugh when people say we were "invited"…. LOL! Yeah, right. And there are WMD's in Iraq, Clinton didn't inhale, the BATF is only here to help you etc. etc. etc. ad-nauseum.

]]> By: GregPreston http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/07/06/mcnamara-a-war-criminal-a-liar-and-a-director-of-the-washington-post-company/comment-page-1/#comment-171634 GregPreston Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:48:18 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/?p=5880#comment-171634 Christopher Hitchens argues that well (Kissenger). BTW Fog of War was awesome even if you despise McNamara. Pirate it if you don't want to pay his estate. Christopher Hitchens argues that well (Kissenger). BTW Fog of War was awesome even if you despise McNamara. Pirate it if you don't want to pay his estate.

]]> By: Marcus http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/07/06/mcnamara-a-war-criminal-a-liar-and-a-director-of-the-washington-post-company/comment-page-1/#comment-171596 Marcus Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:45:37 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/?p=5880#comment-171596 The real tragedy of McNamara is that if he had been more curious about how to make sure his stats could be applied to make the world a better place, then we would be applauding him. But for him it seems, his was the position that he gave you the stats to make the situation better, you make it work around the stats. That worked in the business climate at the time but government, the army and wars don't respond to a business model. Too many prima donas running around loose. His vision (all military boots and shoes black instead of black, brown or white white, M-16 aerospace rifel versus a more robust small caliber rifle on more traditional models that were more suitable to abuse) assured that he wouldn't understand that he couldn't control the forces he was in charge of. He was just too narrowly focused given the position he was in. Sort of like Eugene Stoner (he was the inventor of the prototype of the M-16), too enamored of technology and stats to see that crap in a carbon fiber bag is still the same crap in a burlap bag, just lighter crap. The real tragedy of McNamara is that if he had been more curious about how to make sure his stats could be applied to make the world a better place, then we would be applauding him. But for him it seems, his was the position that he gave you the stats to make the situation better, you make it work around the stats. That worked in the business climate at the time but government, the army and wars don't respond to a business model. Too many prima donas running around loose. His vision (all military boots and shoes black instead of black, brown or white white, M-16 aerospace rifel versus a more robust small caliber rifle on more traditional models that were more suitable to abuse) assured that he wouldn't understand that he couldn't control the forces he was in charge of. He was just too narrowly focused given the position he was in. Sort of like Eugene Stoner (he was the inventor of the prototype of the M-16), too enamored of technology and stats to see that crap in a carbon fiber bag is still the same crap in a burlap bag, just lighter crap.

]]> By: marshall http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/07/06/mcnamara-a-war-criminal-a-liar-and-a-director-of-the-washington-post-company/comment-page-1/#comment-171595 marshall Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:43:40 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/?p=5880#comment-171595 I think rvjas makes a good point (as does Scott). The crimes of the last administration are far greater than those of McNamara. We did not invade a sovereign nation on trumped up charges in the case of Viet Nam. The multi-nation force, led by the US, was invited to South Vietnam to check Soviet and Chinese sponsored aggression. Without the US policy of Soviet containment the Marxist dream of world domination had every chance of success. I think rvjas makes a good point (as does Scott). The crimes of the last administration are far greater than those of McNamara. We did not invade a sovereign nation on trumped up charges in the case of Viet Nam. The multi-nation force, led by the US, was invited to South Vietnam to check Soviet and Chinese sponsored aggression. Without the US policy of Soviet containment the Marxist dream of world domination had every chance of success.

]]> By: Captain Tom http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/07/06/mcnamara-a-war-criminal-a-liar-and-a-director-of-the-washington-post-company/comment-page-1/#comment-171591 Captain Tom Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:58:31 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/?p=5880#comment-171591 In the south there's an old saying..."Hell must exist, because where else would Sherman be?" Ditto for McNamara, et. al. In the south there's an old saying…"Hell must exist, because where else would Sherman be?" Ditto for McNamara, et. al.

]]> By: Andy http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/07/06/mcnamara-a-war-criminal-a-liar-and-a-director-of-the-washington-post-company/comment-page-1/#comment-171581 Andy Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:24:23 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/?p=5880#comment-171581 Well said. Well said.

]]> By: Orville H. Larson http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/07/06/mcnamara-a-war-criminal-a-liar-and-a-director-of-the-washington-post-company/comment-page-1/#comment-171579 Orville H. Larson Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:18:09 +0000 http://www.antiwar.com/blog/?p=5880#comment-171579 I never knew that McNamara was a director of the Washington Post. The Post is a corrupt, statist, neocon rag. I hope it goes belly-up, and the sooner the better. I never knew that McNamara was a director of the Washington Post. The Post is a corrupt, statist, neocon rag. I hope it goes belly-up, and the sooner the better.

]]>