McNamara: Martyr or War Criminal?

While watching the war footage Robert McNamara gives us his lessons on war as well as reflecting on his part in several. Many of the questions he mulls over have to do with just war theory (the ability to carry out war justly). While he gives a fairly honest interview- trying to be sincere and forthcoming, there is a major degree of detachment from his actions during war time and their direct consequences. Its as if hes washing his hands by giving a critical analysis of the wars. Though his loyalty to the president at the time isn't in question, the horrific actions he was willing to carry out many would describe as evil. Even when he's discussing the firebombing of Japan (a large part of which was direct destruction of civilian infrastructure and lives) Curtis LeMay is the cold hearted General that would win at any cost. McNamara's role and culpability within these wars is presented as a simple statistical advisor rather than architect or overseer. At least McNamara invented the seatbelt... though its interesting that he diverges to talk about safety belts between Japan and Vietnam.
Even when Vietnam is covered (brief though the destrictiption of the horrors carried out may be) McNamara keeps a cool distance from the Agent Orange and carpet bombings. The lives of the soldiers that were lost or destroyed in the Vietnam conflict are not even mentioned, yet 58,200 of our soldiers came home in a box for a conflict that we arguably should have never engaged in to begin with. Roughly 2 MILLION Vietnamese were also killed. Where is the great moral delimma of war in which they gauge that amount of life lost? As a man in service to the wishes of his President, should his hands be seen as necessarily dirty under order or should McNamara take some personal responsibility for the way that he carried out his appointed office during wartime? Also: the documentary practically never mentions McNamara's role as head of the World Bank... though arguably it was a huge part of his life as well.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7-Iv8prfKY


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KIvAXPEcaE&feature=related