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Robert McNamara, ex-defense secretary, dies

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Robert McNamara, ex-defense secretary, dies

updated 46 minutes ago

(CNN) -- Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, a key architect of the U.S. war in Vietnam under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, has died at age 93, according to his family.

McNamara was a member of Kennedy's inner circle during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, when the United States and the Soviet Union stood on the brink of nuclear war.

But he became a public lightning rod for his management of the war in Vietnam, overseeing the U.S. military commitment there as it grew from fewer than 1,000 advisers to more than half a million troops.

[...]
And another one bites the dust ... :hm
 
I hope he goes to a place where the victims of his egotistical jingoism can have a word with him.
 
Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara Dies

But who cares, right? Michael Jackson's funeral is coming up!!!!

No, but really, a lot of people hate villify McNamara.... I respect the man for what he tried to do, he pursued an almost impossible task to win in Vietnam... R.I.P Robert Strang McNamara. May you rest in peace brother.

Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara Dies - Political News - FOXNews.com
 
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Re: McNamara dies

Who is he?
 
Re: McNamara dies

Who is he?

One of the men especially responsible for the escalation of the Vietnam war... SOD under Kennedy and LBJ. Huge character in history... I believe a great man, many believe a villain.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgA98V1Ubk8"]YouTube - The Fog of War (trailer)[/ame]
 
Re: McNamara dies

Who is he?

Your Kidding right you have no idea who he is. This explains allot about some of your post then.
 
Re: McNamara dies

Your Kidding right you have no idea who he is. This explains allot about some of your post then.

Or Laila's age? I doubt you would find many people under 30 who know who he is, unless they found fascination in detailed American war history.
 
Re: McNamara dies

Or Laila's age? I doubt you would find many people under 30 who know who he is, unless they found fascination in detailed American war history.
-------

I'm 16
 
Re: McNamara dies

Or Laila's age? I doubt you would find many people under 30 who know who he is, unless they found fascination in detailed American war history.

Really and she is from the Middle East a region that Sec.McNamara policys effect allot.

And I don't by the under 30 crap either everyone know's who JFK and LBJ are so they all should know who Sec. McNamara is then.
 
Re: McNamara dies

Really and she is from the Middle East a region that Sec.McNamara policys effect allot.

No i am not
I was clearly taking you for a fool and you fell for it :doh
 
Re: McNamara dies

Really and she is from the Middle East a region that Sec.McNamara policys effect allot.

And I don't by the under 30 crap either everyone know's who JFK and LBJ are so they all should know who Sec. McNamara is then.

That's an invalid comparison. We are taught at a young age to know who the President's are. We are not however taught who each person in their administration is or even the vice president is in most cases.

If it's a policy enacted before they are born the person most likely doesn't know who created it and why. How many people know why and who created Social Security, Medicare, and the FDIC? Those things affect us all. Unless you choose to research it it doesn't really matter because it exists and in some cases not in the way it was initially created.
 
Re: McNamara dies

McNamara dies at 93 while in Vietnam the average age of the combat soldiers was? [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1U_87i8bFA"]YouTube - 19- Vietnam Presentation[/ame]
 
Re: McNamara dies

Or Laila's age? I doubt you would find many people under 30 who know who he is, unless they found fascination in detailed American war history.

There always the ability to do research on one's own.

[ame=http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GWYA_enUS307US307&q=robert+mcnamara]robert mcnamara - Google Search[/ame]
 
Re: McNamara dies

Really and she is from the Middle East a region that Sec.McNamara policys effect allot.

And I don't by the under 30 crap either everyone know's who JFK and LBJ are so they all should know who Sec. McNamara is then.

So what that she doesn't know. She came into the thread to learn who he is. Golly gee, why does that deserve your criticism? I can bet you many Americans don't know who he is, let alone someone who resides in London. :roll:

As for Robert McNamara, may he rest in peace. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Fog of War," and was amazed at the part where he got all teary-eyed even after all of these years. The Bush Administration should have taken his advice that came from making some piss poor decisions that he acknowledged in the film.
 
Re: McNamara dies

Who is he?

mcnamara was a child prodigy, who subscribed to the belief in his greatness

he thought he could apply his "whiz kid" analytical approaches that he used at ford to create efficiencies in the military

he was very wrong about that, and later about our prospects for success in vietnam

he was the wrong fellow in the wrong job at the wrong time ... the blame most goes to the person who selected him for the position: JFK

later, mcnamara screwed up the world bank about like he did our defense department

he epitomized the saying that being smart is not enough
 
Re: McNamara dies

So what that she doesn't know. She came into the thread to learn who he is. Golly gee, why does that deserve your criticism? I can bet you many Americans don't know who he is, let alone someone who resides in London. :roll:

How many Americans in this thread are knowledgeable about 60's British political figures?
 
Re: McNamara dies

McNamara dies at 93 while in Vietnam the average age of the combat soldiers was?

What's your point? McNamara fought in WWII, what was the average age of a soldier in WWII?
 
Re: McNamara dies

How many Americans in this thread are knowledgeable about 60's British political figures?

Baroness Carrington has died this week, as has Major Martin Clemens who supplied intelligence to marines to stop a 30, 000 strong japanese force in the second world war as has Jerry Nielsen FitzGerald who was a south pole physican who when she discovered she had breast cancer treated a biopsy on herself .... i can go on, a soldier also died this week who had assisted the allied forces in bringing down the Nazis

I doubt many people are aware of who these people are
 
Re: McNamara dies

What's your point? McNamara fought in WWII, what was the average age of a soldier in WWII?

Average age in WW2 was 26, supposedly. I think the numbers have been cooked to show Vietnam in a more negative light.
 
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How many Americans in this thread are knowledgeable about 60's British political figures?

I can what would hyou like to know I bet Laila couldn't name the PM in 1960.
 
Re: McNamara dies

I can what would hyou like to know I bet Laila couldn't name the PM in 1960.

What difference does it make who Laila can and cannot name? Does knowing who the PM of Britain was in 1960 validate or invalidate someone's opinion on current policies in America?
 
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Re: McNamara dies

Baroness Carrington has died this week, as has Major Martin Clemens who supplied intelligence to marines to stop a 30, 000 strong japanese force in the second world war as has Jerry Nielsen FitzGerald who was a south pole physican who when she discovered she had breast cancer treated a biopsy on herself .... i can go on, a soldier also died this week who had assisted the allied forces in bringing down the Nazis

I doubt many people are aware of who these people are

I know who Martin Clemens is. He was a coast watcher during WW2. He provided intel to American forces on Guadalcanal.
 
Re: McNamara dies

I can what would hyou like to know I bet Laila couldn't name the PM in 1960.

Depends if we are talking early 60's or later.
Early was conservative, Macmillan ofc where the profumo affair hit where he was forced to resign and soon after Wilson (labour) took power with a majority of one.

I know my history on my leaders
 
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