Article

2009-07-06 -Obits-

Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara Dies at 93

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Beavis 2009-07-06 09:03|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 But, but, but what now becomes of the Project 100,000 and the "subterranean poor?"

Posted by Besoeker 2009-07-06 10:12|| 2009-07-06 10:12|| Front Page Top

#2 The shmuck was instrumental in losing the Viet Nam war. He can give my regards to Mussolini and Himmler.

Posted by Scooter McGruder 2009-07-06 10:27|| 2009-07-06 10:27|| Front Page Top

#3 Strange!

Posted by Injun Grinesing9686 2009-07-06 10:43|| 2009-07-06 10:43|| Front Page Top

#4 I wouldn't go that far. I watched Fog of War, and it was clear that Bob was a well-meaning, very intelligent man who simply didn't understand Vietnam. He couldn't adjust to new data.

Sound familiar with the current crew in the White House?

Posted by Steve White 2009-07-06 10:44|| 2009-07-06 10:44|| Front Page Top

#5 Steve,
I mostly agree with you re. McNamara but I am not so confident any more that all of the current WH crew is actually 'well-meaning'. Certainly the least transparent administration in a long time, which makes it hard to assess intent, but too many moves seem to have the same 'unintended' consequences.

Posted by Glenmore 2009-07-06 10:58|| 2009-07-06 10:58|| Front Page Top

#6 He was an "intellectual", not a leader. HE was so overconfident of his intellect that he believed HIS solution was THE solution and pressed it regardless of the ground truth. He refused to listen to the facts, he refused to learn from history, and he destroyed that which he claimed to be saving.

Sound familiar?

Posted by OldSpook 2009-07-06 11:11|| 2009-07-06 11:11|| Front Page Top

#7 He was an "intellectual", not a leader. HE was so overconfident of his intellect that he believed HIS solution was THE solution and pressed it regardless of the ground truth.

Why, that sounds just like any other ENArch or assorted Uber-civil servant here in France! And they're as susccessful, too!

Posted by anonymous5089 2009-07-06 11:37|| 2009-07-06 11:37|| Front Page Top

#8 From Ben on Ace of Spades:
"Robert McNamara is dead. I am willing to bet there is a line of 58,000 Vietnam vets in heaven just waiting to kick the shit out of this man."

Posted by bman">bman 2009-07-06 11:37|| 2009-07-06 11:37|| Front Page Top

#9 bman,
They may have to wait a long time then, since it's not a foregone conclusion that McNamara is headed their direction.

Posted by Glenmore 2009-07-06 11:52|| 2009-07-06 11:52|| Front Page Top

#10 He was a heavy hitter in the sixties' Cold War; then he challenged Reagan's successful foreign policy. Nobody will name an aircraft carrier after him, now.

Posted by Percy Snogum9637 2009-07-06 13:54|| 2009-07-06 13:54|| Front Page Top

#11 When I enlisted in the Air Force in the late 70s, there were still a lot of mid-ranked NCOs and officers who remembered McNamera very, very well - and without exception they despised him so completely, they couldn't even mention his name without cussing. I imagine that wherever his physical remains are planted, there will be a long line of Vietnam and Vietnam-era veterans lining up to piss on that place.

Posted by Sgt. Mom">Sgt. Mom 2009-07-06 15:46|| http://www.celiahayes.com]">[http://www.celiahayes.com] 2009-07-06 15:46|| Front Page Top

#12 Sgt. Mom... yes, he ranks nearly as high on the old Vet massive dislike and contemptuous spit scale as Jane Fonda, Henry Kissenger, and Jimmy Carter. As an aside, he was recruited for the beltway from Ford Motor Co. by then president John F. Kennedy who believed he "was the most brilliant member of a very smart Cabinet."

Posted by Besoeker 2009-07-06 15:55|| 2009-07-06 15:55|| Front Page Top

#13 Sadly, smarter just means you get to stupid faster, if you start out facing in the wrong direction.

Posted by trailing wife">trailing wife 2009-07-06 16:03|| 2009-07-06 16:03|| Front Page Top

#14 As a vet who served in Vietnam, I have no use for Robert McNamara, nor the president(s) who appointed him to high office. Some of his policies were merely stupid - others were criminally insane.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2009-07-06 17:03|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2009-07-06 17:03|| Front Page Top

#15 McNamara, rot in hell you POS.

Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2009-07-06 18:46|| 2009-07-06 18:46|| Front Page Top

#16 Mentioned this story to a friend today, when i read the headline that he had died at 93, my buddy said, "well, only the good die young".

Posted by abu do you love ">abu do you love 2009-07-06 20:03|| 2009-07-06 20:03|| Front Page Top

#17 Hope you have some answers, Bob. Because you're gonna need em...

Posted by tu3031 2009-07-06 22:05|| 2009-07-06 22:05|| Front Page Top

23:57 trailing wife
23:55 49 Pan
23:12 Zhang Fei
22:23 JosephMendiola
22:21 JosephMendiola
22:09 JosephMendiola
22:05 tu3031
22:05 JosephMendiola
21:35 DMFD
21:26 Frank G
21:26 Glenmore
21:23 WTF
21:21 Barbara Skolaut
21:18 borgboy
21:12 lord garth
21:11 OldSpook
21:11 OldSpook
21:09 OldSpook
20:57 borgboy
20:55 Procopius2k
20:37 Atomic Conspiracy
20:35 ed
20:33 Hellfish
20:32 49 Pan