Was he a man to hate, as many people, particularly veterans of Vietnam, do, for his conduct of Vietnam, for the statistical whiz's fascination with "body counts," for his refusal to speak out on the war, for his pride, his arrogance, his fatal decisions that led to the deaths of thousands of American soldiers and Vietnamese?
Was he a man to pity, a brilliant man haunted by his decisions, his tragic legacy?
For my generation, the one following immediately following Vietnam, and for all subsequent generations, judgement should be reserved on McNamara. Instead, lessons should be drawn from his complex life, one full of contradictions and compromises that had a profound and scarring impact on our country.
Was McNamara right to stay quiet about his doubts about the Vietnam war? Because he served at the pleasure of the President, was he right to remain loyal? Did he have a deeper commitment to the American people, and therefore have an obligation to voice his opinions? Did he enact real change, as filmmaker Errol Morris suggests in this nuanced piece, by resisting the hawkish Joint Chiefs during the Cuban Missile Crisis? Where do our loyalties lie? Can you ever make amends for such terrible mistakes?
McNamara was certainly not a man to embrace. The path he chose caused unimaginable pain for thousands, and the physical, psychological and emotional damage lingers today.
He is, however, a man to mourn, not for what he did or what he stood for, but so that we may learn from him and make sure to avoid his mistakes.
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