Analysis of The Fog of War-Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara Documentary - Essay Example

Fog of War Robert McNamara is one of the greatest Secretaries of Defense in the history of United s. His outstanding power in making decisions concerning critical situations in warfare further proved his greatness. In addition, his passion and expertise in warfare is further illustrated in a documentary that discusses the nature of modern warfare. The documentary, The Fog of War-Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara is an American documentary film that was shot in 2003 directed by Errol Morris (Grothaus 1). The documentary majorly depicts the difficult situations in making decisions on conflict. It also provides difficult lessons that Robert McNamara learned about modern war when he was the United States’ Secretary of Defense. In addition, it involves a study of moral complexities in conflicts. The documentary can explain common contemporary issues happening in the modern world, especially the Israeli-Palestine war. For example, it focuses on one of the most significant and controversial figures in the government of the United States in the 20th Century (Grothaus 1). The documentary focuses on the war involving Cuba, United States and United Soviet Socialists Union (Grothaus 1). Cuba almost engaged in war with the United Soviets Socialists Union. In addition, the documentary provides methodologies that can be adopted in times when one has to make a quick decision (Grothaus 1). Moreover, Robert McNamara claims that some war situations might be hard and dilemmatic. However, learning is not possible when dealing with nuclear weapons because any mistake made in the process would be highly consequential.As directed by Errol Morris, the film focuses on eleven lessons that can be learned from Robert McNamara’s life. Some of the lessons learned are decisions concerning critical situations in events of war. The first lesson is to empathize with your enemy. Consequently, it is necessary for the Israelis to sympathize with Palestinians and vice versa. Empathy will allow leaders from both divide to acknowledge that civilians are the most affected (Merip 1). The lesson analyses the need to view the world according to enemies’ perspective. The situation help understand their opinions concerning certain conflict situations. The approach also helps in comprehending their thinking and decision making process. For instance, McNamara illustrates one of the major events that took place when he was the Secretary of defense. The Cuban Missile Crisis illustrates the increased likelihood of Cuba exchanging nuclear weapons with the United States. Despite his will and Kennedy’s to maintain a peaceful America, some opposite powers within the White House seemed to push for the invasion (Grothaus 1). The powerful persons in the country were inhuman because they advocated for war rather than peace and diplomacy. Kennedy received two contradictory messages from Krushev. Robert McNamara referred to one of the messages as “soft” and the other “hard” (Grothaus 1). The soft message was conditional because the United Soviets Socialists Republic ready to withdraw their missiles from Cuba if the United States promised to decline their invasion first. The “hard message” signaled how the Soviets Union would respond massively against the United States if it went and invaded Cuba. The situation was dilemmatic to Kennedy. However, Tommy Thompson, the ambassador to Moscow, preferred that Kennedy responded with the soft message (Grothaus 1). Contrary to the expectations, Kennedy seemed to look down upon the idea. Eventually, Thompson persuaded the president. He indicated that Krushev’s concern would be diverted by telling the Soviets how he greatly saved Cuba from invasion by the United States. McNamara saw this as empathy and a peaceful method to getting away with the conflict. Secondly, McNamara discovered something beyond one’s self. As a result, one has the option of making the best out of such issues. The Hamas in Palestine have failed to honor peace deals, just like the Israeli leaders (Merip 1). It is necessary for the leaders to think beyond themselves and consider the needs of the society. They should draw from their previous experiences and come up with acceptable positions (Grothaus 1). McNamara considered several experiences in his past life as having greatly contributed to his decision and policymaking ability as the Secretary of Defense in America. He attributed his expertise in decision making to his previous excellence as a scholar. McNamara had previously graduated from Berkley and further joined Harvard School of Business (Grothaus 1). McNamara excelled in studies and had a deep focus in philosophy. After studies, he went back to San Francisco where met and courted his wife after whom she married and had family with. With the commencement of World War II in America, McNamara became the acting professor at the Harvard Business School (Grothaus 1). While working there, Harvard entered into a contract with the American government to start an officer candidate’s school for what was then known as Statistical Control in the United States, the Air Force (Grothaus 1). McNamara later became an officer working with the 8th Air Force where he specifically worked on statistical analysis (Grothaus 1) . The whole story of McNamara’s academic and social life is a clear illustration of how great one can become regardless of self-perceptions. Thirdly, Robert McNamara proclaimed that rationality alone would not save people. It means that Israelis and Palestinians should come up with suitable strategies rather than rely on luck (Merip 1). The rational steps should be backed with empathy, resolution and understanding of repercussions. For instance, during the Cuban Missile crisis, individuals almost invaded each other with nuclear weapons. However, they were lucky, as nuclear weapons were not used. However, McNamara strong believed that the modern world is still prone to the emergence of a nuclear warfare. The Cuban Missile Crisis is a clear illustration of the dire nature of human error, especially when nuclear weapons are used during war. The fourth concept affirms that maximizing efficiency is vital. Efficiency emphasizes on the effectiveness of set objectives. The United Nations and the US government have formulated objectives pertaining to the Israeli-Palestine war (Merip 1). The objectives are operational and tactical in nature. They have led to specific outcomes though efficiency is yet to be attained. After serving in the 8th Air Force, McNamara was then promoted and joined the 58th Bomb Wing. His tasks involved flying planes to the Pacific Theater (Grothaus 1). As a result, McNamara’s efficiency improved since he encountered challenging situations in his new job. The new situation demanded valid decisions quickly. While serving, he came across situations that greatly demanded his expertise in decision-making (Grothaus 1). For instance, he was to decide on whether or not to start firebombing cities in Japan. As a result, he launched several attacks in the Japanese cities that involved bombings (Grothaus 1). Consequently, this highly boosted the efficiency in which United States carried out their bombing. Fifthly, proportionality should act as a guideline to war. The Israeli-Palestine war, especially the leaders should examine the decision-making capabilities. For example, it is improper to use drones to monitor enemy territory because it undermines their freedom (Merip 1). However, the process is necessary when it aims to save life. As the Secretary of Defense in America, Robert McNamara found himself in situations that greatly demanded critical decisions. For instance, he determined whether to launch two atomic bombs in the Japanese cities with the continued destruction from firebombing. He investigated Japanese cities that had been invaded and destroyed. Some of the notably invaded cities in Japan included Tokyo, whose size could be compared to that of New York then. In addition, other cities which were bombed include Toyama, Nagoya and Osaka (Grothaus 1). The destruction was done before the release of nuclear bombs. McNamara believed that in the event of United States losing the war, Americans will judged as war criminals (Grothaus 1). Indeed, that would be legally wrong and would be a punishable offence. Shortly after World War II, Ford Motor Company developed the need for leadership. Those with comparatively higher educational degrees were preferred (Grothaus 1). McNamara diverted his major and joined the company. The sixth lesson is that McNamara emphasized the importance of obtaining data. The fight in Gaza should focus on collecting primary data, especially among persons affected by the war (Merip 1). The process will help in coming up with suitable corrective measures. After joining Ford, McNamara held an executive office in the company. While there, he steered the certain studies whose main objective was obtaining information concerning buyer demographics for specific vehicles and obtaining reports as a measure of enhancing safety. From the obtained information, he designed cars which were highly profitable to thecompany. Henry Ford eventually promoted McNamara as president of the company in 1960 (Grothaus 1). This made him the first person outside the Ford family to hold the presidential position. Previously, McNamara refused an offer from the president, John F. Kennedy, which would have seen him become the Secretary of Treasury (Grothaus 1). He accepted a different offer from the president as the Secretary of Defense. The seventh lesson affirms that no one is in a position of changing human nature. The land under contention in the Israel-Palestine war is geographically strategic. As a result, both parties are unlikely to give it up. In addition, the land cannot be moved or relocated to suit strategic purposes. As referred by McNamara, the documentary emphasizes on the complexity of war and the difficulty of the human mind to effectively comprehend them all (Grothaus 1). McNamara believes that human nature can never help in ending war. Consequently, he believed that human beings’ rationality is limited. In conclusion, decision making in critical events such as war and conflict is vital. It is necessary to always analyze situations before making decisions. In addition, it is important to consider diplomacy before war. The lessons from McNamara provide a vision to address war and other insecurities in the society. Works Cited Merip. Primer on Palestine, Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. 2014. Web. 8th November 2014 Grothaus, Nick. “Hand of Reason.”The Fog of War-Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara. 2011. Web. 8 November 2014. Handofreason.com/2011/media/the-fog-of-war-eleven-lessons-from-the-life-of-robert-s-mcnamara Read More