Robert McNamara

mike65

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8136595.stm

Robert McNamara, who served as US defence secretary during the Vietnam war and the Cuban Missile Crisis, has died aged 93.

Mr McNamara, who served under presidents John F Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson, was also an architect of the US policy of nuclear deterrence.

After leaving the Pentagon he became president of the World Bank.

His wife Diana said he had suffered failing health for some time and died in his sleep at home in Washington DC.

Before taking up the post as Pentagon chief in 1961, Mr McNamara was the president of Ford Motor Company, turning the company around in the post World War II era.

He is most closely associated with overseeing the involvement of the US in Vietnam from 1961 to 1968.

Hugely controversial figure in the mid-late 60s and unlike many, one who's views of his own role in comtempory history changed over time. A documentary the Fog of War is worth watching.

JonathanAnon

And here was me hoping yesterday hoping that Kissinger would have been knocked off by a stray Federer serve.

Lived til a ripe old age though, most politicians seem to.

CorkFenian

Have to agree with OP The Fog of War is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen..Simply honest and very thoughtful..Whether you liked\hated him...Very interesting and charismatic guy IMO

BeQuiet

That documentary on him was fawning IMHO.

McNamara saw everything back then in the 60s as USA freedom loving capitalists Vs the evil commies. And because of this delusion, hundreds of thousands of people - mostly non-combatants - were killed, injured, and are still being born with abnormailities .
And this love fest for him now is a bit sickening. Lets get real... the media is always apologetic for US based mass murderers ... Joe Stalin and Pol Pot were not much worse than this guy really.

invincibleirish

The Fog Of War was a godsend for McNamaras legacy, painting him as a repentent caring old man, its practically propaganda. As noted by BeQuiet above there is little to his legacy beyond being integral to indiscriminate slaughter. Another dead cold war warrior is always good news.

BeQuiet

Right on ... 40 or 50 years too late for all his Vietnamese victims.

sovtek

BeQuiet wrote: »

That documentary on him was fawning IMHO.

McNamara saw everything back then in the 60s as USA freedom loving capitalists Vs the evil commies. And because of this delusion, hundreds of thousands of people - mostly non-combatants - were killed, injured, and are still being born with abnormailities .
And this love fest for him now is a bit sickening. Lets get real... the media is always apologetic for US based mass murderers ... Joe Stalin and Pol Pot were not much worse than this guy really.

By McNamara's own count it was 3.4 million dead in Vietnam although his time at the World Bank was probably more deadly. He was also instrumental in the arms race by being the brainchild for the "missle gap".
War criminals always seem to live the longest.

partyguinness

Saw Fog of War in the cinema when it came out. Very interesting as it was around the time of the Iraq invasion. Must watch it again some time.