Was McNamara's ethically justified in keeping silent about disillusionment with the Vietnam war policies?
613152
The only thing McNamera is ethically justified to do is to kill himself in a manner that will be slow and painfull. \n\nHis lies and deceit needlessly killed thousands of American troops and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese. Yet he lives a full life and a ripe old age.
1151779
Watch the documentary "The Fog of War" about Robert McNamara who was in Kennedy and Johnson's cabinet.\n\nGives good perspective about that.\n\nU.S. didn't know the enemy well and Johnson was stubborn.\n\nSeems similar to Iraq and Afganistan.
540164
Discretion is the better part of valor.  There are some things you just don't talk about.
1101466
Seems like a lecture to me. I do not need a lesture but thanks anyway. No tip of iceberg, Senate committee throwing around their weight & Safavian was convicted of lying to an ethics officer.\nIf they start convicting people for lying, they will empty DC & then come for the rest of us. Dull news!
114957
you mean ethically?  probably NOT.
1016945
Very interesting.  \nThe CIA has always been a morally amiguous organizition which serves the government not in the interests of right and wrong but in guaranteeing US military might throughout the world.  Ex-Nazis were probably used to make connections and guarantee some flow of information.  \nI especially like that the article points out the sentiment of the war on communism took precedent over right and wrong within our government, however slanted a view that is.
1104762
Protesters who hope to save the people of Iraq/Afghanistan/Haiti/Palestine etc. from destruction must select the issues they confront and the means they employ in such a way as to attract as much popular support as possible for their efforts. There is no lack of clear issues and honorable means, surely, hence no reason why one should be impelled to ugly actions on ambiguous issues. In particular, it seems to me that counter-recruitment, properly conducted (as it has been so far ), is not only a highly principled and courageous act, but one that might receive broad support and become politically effective. It might, furthermore, succeed in raising the issues of passive complicity in the war which are now much too easily evaded. Those who face these issues may even go on to free themselves from the mind-destroying ideological pressures of American life, and to ask some serious questions about America's role in the world
989592
Kudo's for some good work, although I doubt that many liberals will buy into these facts.  I would like to take issue with one area of contention and that is the Viet Nam war.  It is true that JFK sent in advisors to contain the communists, but it was the old hawk Lydon Baines Johnson that escalated the war and sent in troops.  I believe that Viet Nam was Johnson's war.  After he lost the stomach to continue, when he had Charlie on his knees following the Tet offensive, the old fool announced that he was hanging up his spurs.  Johnson too, was a democrat and a shameless coward.  The loss of that war should  be credited solely to LBJ.
687275
You were never spat on or called names because all the ones there at airport that day were probably all your little Anti war protesters buddies. come to welcome their cowardly buddy home from the big bad war. You have mentioned that during your Military service that you JOINED THE ANTI VIETNAM WAR PROTESTERS. And that you stayed in the Military working at the DOD for a further 24 years, Doing hush hush top secret jobbies. I would like to know just how that fitted in with YOU being an anti war protester. What was your top secret job selling US secrets to the ENEMY.
590522
It might be best to hear both sides first before people begin comparing this to the 1968 My Lai massacre in Vietnam.\nIt sounds as though your mind has been made up before hearing from the soldiers who were there. Not saying it isn't possible but combat does bad things to good peoples minds.
879242
Nixon has been one of the best president the US had together with Reagan in the last 50 years. Honorable peace? You think that by leaving the South Vietnamese helpless, it's a honorable peace that he has achieved? The pressure from the American public was too big and he had to withdraw. But, was the cause just? What did the North achieve? What were they fighting for? Communism? Where is that communism now? The American cause was a cause that was right and in the end it has proved that it were the North Vietnamese who have for something that they now do not believe... So many lives lost.... Is that honorable?
109101
I would venture to guess they did not want a show down with the Soviet Union or China at the time. The Gulf of Tonkin incident was enough to justify escalating the war without a declaration.  You would think that sending 50,000 amercian boys and soldier girls to their deaths would've justified a declaration of war, but who am i to raise that argument.
711423
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
12232
President Carter pardoned those who avoided the Vietnam War draft by not registering or traveling abroad.  However, the pardon did not cover everyone who avoided service in the war.  People who deserted, received a less than honorable discharge, and those involved in acts of violent demonstrations were not pardoned.
906699
He submitted to governance before he got the truth. Military disregard does not work and he would have been squashed like a bug. I am sure that the Dem's bailed him out. Like that career dem he hired for hired inner circle. Wife Shriver Is a Kennedy and they have action in CA. This may be the first dual party Governor in history.
763569
The lowest form of moral depravity is to hold others to a standard that you have no intention of living up to yourself, this describes American foreign policy since the turn of the century. You ask a excellent question that challenges even the most die hard maniac or warmonger or whatever you want to call the mainstream American public. As for OBL, your right ,why(you need that bad guy out there running around to maintain your constant state of fear and paranoia when it comes to the public)
771883
yes here take a look for yourself, and no ones been brought to justice for that and war crimes the u.s commited in vietnam. nazi's didn't last long in history nor will thier predesesors the u.s.