Why does Robert McNamara use the phrase fog of war?
McNamara is a 2003 American documentary film about the life and times of former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara illustrating his observations of the nature of modern warfare. The title derives from the military concept of the “fog of war” depicting the difficulty of making decisions in the midst of conflict.
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.
What is the fog of war documentary summary?
Former corporate whiz kid Robert McNamara was the controversial Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, during the height of the Vietnam War. This Academy Award-winning documentary, augmented by archival footage, gives the conflicted McNamara a platform on which he attempts to confront his and the U.S. government’s actions in Southeast Asia in light of the horrors of modern warfare, the end of ideology and the punitive judgment of history.
The Fog of War/Film synopsis
Which US president gave McNamara a calendar with an engraving of the 13 days that the United States nearly came to nuclear with Russia?
President Kennedy
McNamara: Yes, this was given by President Kennedy. On the calendar are engraved the dates: October 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,24, 25, 26, 27, and finally 28, were the dates when we literally looked down the gun barrel into nuclear war.
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.
What did empathize with your enemy mean?
Empathy is the ability to put oneself in someone else’s shoes in order to understand their actions and goals. Empathy can help one understand what one’s adversaries want, allowing everyone to come to a mutually satisfying outcome without the use of military force and its attendant death and destruction.
What does Belief and seeing are both often wrong mean?
A common aphorism suggests that “seeing is believing,” suggesting that we shouldn’t believe everything we hear. Only when we see something with our own two eyes can we be certain of the truth. Of course, this is wrong.
Did Kennedy put missiles in Turkey?
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union engaged in a tense, 13-day political and military standoff in October 1962 over the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba, just 90 miles from U.S. shores. Kennedy also secretly agreed to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey.
What do you mean by rationality?
1 : the quality or state of being rational. 2 : the quality or state of being agreeable to reason : reasonableness. 3 : a rational opinion, belief, or practice —usually used in plural..
Why is it important to empathize with your enemy?