Fog of War Essay - 1310 Words

Ryan McManus Vietnam Film 2/29/12 The Fog of War In the opening scenes of the documentary, The Fog of War, Robert McNamara states, â€Å"Any military commander who is honest admits that he has made mistakes, errors of judgment.† Throughout the documentary, I got the sense that McNamara is asking for forgiveness from the American public and is telling them that he wishes things went differently. There are many times throughout the film that McNamara is a sympathetic figure, but they are mainly towards the deaths and tragedies of the American people and soldiers, and less on the tragedies of the Vietnamese. As the Secretary of Defense, serving underneath the rule of the President, McNamara was not and should not have been critical of the†¦show more content†¦McNamara sympathizes with the Japanese who had to experience this disaster and he knows that it was not in the best interest for anyone to take such extreme measures. Another sign of sympathy from McNamara was when he spoke of the tragic suicide of Norman Morrison, which occurred directly below McNamara’s office outside the Pentagon. This act was a very difficult experience for McNamara and the American public to swallow. McNamara’s emotions while telling the story showed his deep sorrow for Morrison’s family and all his supporters, knowing well that McNamara himself was the reason for the civil unrest. McNamara wishes that war did not have to be so grueling but he also knows that â€Å"in order to do good, you may have to engage in evil.† The documentary is structured around the eleven lessons learned throughout WWII and the Vietnam War. Although they were obvious to McNamara after the fact, the lessons were not so clear in the midst of fog. Failing to apply the majority of the lessons learned set the United States up for a total disaster and one that would haunt the American people for years. One particular lesson that was not applied was: Empathize with your enemy. Vietnamese and Amer ican cultures and motives could not be more different; and at the time could not have been more misunderstood, by both sides. In the Vietnamese eyes’, the Americans were trying to pick up where the FrenchShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Movie The Fog Of War 1472 Words   |  6 PagesIn the Fog of War, Former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara recounted his experiences when serving for both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Throughout the film he shared eleven lessons that he learned as a result of the war and politics. The lessons range from empathizing with one s enemy to the fact we cannot change human nature. This essay will discuss some of McNamara’s lessons and how they illustrated institutions, bargaining, cooperation, power and sovereignty. The film startedRead MoreEssay on Fog of War Film Analysis931 Words   |  4 PagesThe Fog of War Analysis Nearly 160 million people were killed during the 20th century, and film maker Errol Morris wished to show the reason for this in documentary form. He interviewed former US secretary of Defense Arnold McNamara and the two discussed and analyzed some defining moments in US history, thus The Fog of War was made. The movie was set up in 11 lessons. However, I only found three to be completely reasonable. The first lesson that is highlighted in Morris film is thatRead MoreAnalysis of the Fog of War: Eleven Lessons by Robert S. Mcnamara1156 Words   |  5 PagesThe Fog of War Eleven Lessons by Robert S. McNamara was in so much as a great representation of the life of Robert S. McNamara. It showed his life to be dramatic and traumatic in many different ways. The lessons he learned and shared during the documentary movie were truly astounding to me. 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Both accounts prove that human memoriesRead MoreThe Counterculture Of The 1960s From The Anti Authoritarian Engagements Of Preceding Decades1132 Words   |  5 PagesSeveral factors contributed to the counterculture of the 1960s from the anti-authoritarian engagements of preceding decades. The post-World War II ‘baby boom’ produced an extraordinary number of disaffected young people as potential partakers in a rethinking of the direction of American values. Post-war success permitted many of the counterculture generation to divert their attention from the benefaction of the material necessities of life that had preoccupied their Depression-era parents. PeopleRead MoreDid The United State Commit War Crimes Against Japan During WW II?865 Words   |  4 Pagesquestion, to what extent did the United States of America commit war crimes against Japanese civilians and POWs during their Pacific campaign in World War II? 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