Comments on: Robert McNamara, Ex-Pentagon Chief, Dies

Served As Secretary Of Defense For Presidents Kennedy, Johnson During Vietnam War; Dies At 93

[Solarrays247]

Hell is too good for him, GTR5.

[mejordelahistoria]

"the only American war to end in abject withdrawal rather than victory. "


......that's not true, these colors ran in Korea, there was no victory there neither. In Beirut we also ran out after terrorists killed hundreds of marines. In Somalia we ran also ever short of victory. In Iraq we failed to find weapons of mass destruction, and now we leave a devastated country that celebrates us leaving and an insurgency we never really stopped.

[stn_sage]

Well, your summary is pretty accurate! Though, each is a unique situation with factors that must be analyzed specific to it!

Regarding the passage you quote, I think the author was speaking in terms of the overall lengthy nature of that war, the heavy manpower and material commitment to it, and the resulting failure to achieve the desired result---compared to some of the other wars you note in your
summary!

[stn_sage]

Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Powell, and various others ought to go through this board and read EVERY posting! And, then realize that when
the end comes for them, they can expect the SAME kind of eulogy from
members of the public that they see here!

Because, FRANKLY---they have EARNED it through their misdeeds! And IF public criticism is the HIGHEST PENALTY any of these clowns have to pay for what they've done, then it's a dam cheap price, and they're getting off pretty easy!

[Solarrays247]

IT REALLY IS SO TRAGIC THAT SO MANY LIVES WERE LOST BECAUSE THEIR MISSION WAS POLITICAL AND UNCLEAR. SUCH WERE THE TIMES THEN.

WE ALSO HAD THE DRAFT WHICH MEANT THAT OUR YOUNG MEN COULD BE TAKEN INVOLUNTARY AND SENT TO DEATH OR A LIFETIME OF TRAUMA!!!
by HGOODGUY July 6, 2009 2:07 PM PDT


Yep, many of us lost good buddies and relatives in that tragic war called Vietnam.

That is....unless your name was AWOL George W. Bush, or five-time deferment Dick Cheney....and these two "brave" (snicker) men got to send another generation of brave young people to their possible death or physical and/or mental trauma....this time to an illegal war. You are right though, at least this time our young people were not drafted...they were just lied to.

[brady51h-2009]

They better keep his burial place a secret because the lines to water his grave will be very long. He was a useless Know-it-all bookworm who killed a lot of America's best youth. He will be remembered as one of America's most hated citizens.

[stn_sage]

I think you're right---on BOTH counts!

[HGOODGUY]

MAYBE THE LESSONS LEARNED IN VIET NAM, AS A RESULT OF MCNAMARAS FLAWED PERCEPTION, ARE THE REASON THAT OUR TROOPS ARE RESPECTED AND NEVER SENT ANYWHERE UNLESS THE MISSION IS CLEAR.

IT REALLY IS SO TRAGIC THAT SO MANY LIVES WERE LOST BECAUSE THEIR MISSION WAS POLITICAL AND UNCLEAR. SUCH WERE THE TIMES THEN.

WE ALSO HAD THE DRAFT WHICH MEANT THAT OUR YOUNG MEN COULD BE TAKEN INVOLUNTARY AND SENT TO DEATH OR A LIFETIME OF TRAUMA!!!

AT LEAST NOW MILITARY SERVICE IS VOLUNTARY AND, AS A RESULT, SOLDIERS KNOW WHAT THEY ARE BEING TRAINED FOR AND HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM.

MCNAMARA DIRECTED THE VIET NAM WAR ON "INTELECT AND THEORY" AND NEVER REALIZED THE HUMAN TOLL.

DEAD IS NOT THEORY--DEAD IS JUST DEAD!!!!

[johninpennsyl]

The devil had to wait a long time for this bum.
He sent a lot of good,young men to their deaths,for no reason,and then had the balz to say it might have been a mistake.
My brother Pat,one of those good young men was killed in Nam in July 1966,and this worthless a$$wipe lives to be 93.
May Robert Strange McNamara rot in hell.

[stn_sage]

There are MILLIONS of Americans who can relate to what you are saying!
I'm sorry about your brother Pat, that's why these clowns need to be
held accountable for their actions! So, men like your brother aren't
needlessly killed! That's why Bush & Co. ought to be prosecuted for
what they've done regarding the Iraq War! For the good men & women
who were senselessly killed during this war, too!

[branchltd]

The bean counter would not be missed by Vietnam Veterans. His policies were the main cause of the Vietnam debacle. Rumsfeld is his clone. Neither of them were qualified to serve as secretary of defense. They were put on board to save money, not win and wars. In both cases they grossly undersupplied the military actions resulting in unnecessary casualties. The basic principle of warfare is to hit the enemy with everything you can as soon as you can, not what these idiots were doing.

[branchltd]

The bean counter would not be missed by Vietnam Veterans. His policies were the main cause of the Vietnam debacle. Rumsfeld is his clone. Neither of them were qualified to serve as secretary of defense. They were put on board to save money, not win and wars. In both cases they grossly undersupplied the military actions resulting in unnecessary casualties. The basic principle of warfare is to hit the enemy with everything you can as soon as you can, not what these idiots were doing.

[hermitdave]

America again lets a WAR criminal die of old age. This guy LIED as thousands of Americas soldiers died and were maimed. For sure his middle name STRANGE was a fitting description. Just like Rummy did for Cheney, Strange Mac did for the military industrial complex of that era. As long as America continues to let its leaders do very STUPID stuff with immunity from prosecution, it will loose brave soldiers obeying orders of STUPID GREEDY leaders. Now as Obama continues the Cheney crusades the people responsible for both the Afghan and Iraq debacle retire to write books like STRANGE MAC did, never fearing anyone from the government will ever bring charges of MURDER of innocents against them. What a shame that incompetence in politics is rewarded by a nice pension, book deals, public speaking for big money.