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SBD · Admiral Joined: 19 Aug 2004 Posts: 1022

Hanoi Hello

Jane Fonda, who campaigned against the US war in Vietnam, has been reconciled with one of the conflict's chief architects.

The actress came face to face with former US defence secretary Robert McNamara at the Hay Festival. Nick Higham reports.

Link to Video
You will have to click on the story at the bottom untl I can get a direct link.

Since I was not around during the time of MCNamara, I can only guess from his reaction to this meeting that he was/is a Traitor as well. Can someone fill me in on this McNamara character?

SBD

LewWaters · Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:23 am Post subject:

Robert Macnamara was the Secretary of Defense under Lyndon Johnson and is basically the Chief Architect of the Viet Nam War. In the past few years, he has come out writing books, the most notable, "Retrospect," in which he now claims he knew all along committing troops to Viet nam was wrong.

He seems to have taken an apologetic stance towards our efforts in Viet Nam and is readily embraced today by the anti-war left.

To me, if, as he claims, he knew it was wrong and unwinnable back then, he is repsonsible for 58,000 dead American Soldiers, Marines and Airmen. If he didn't know and felt we should have been there, then he's a lying hypocrite today. Either way, I have no use for him and rank him alongside Hanoi Jane, Hanoi John sKerry, Ramsey Clark and the rest of that ilk.

If he were a true man of character and felt it was so wrong back in 1965, he should have resigned in protest, not committed so many of us to be there. If he were still a true man of character, he should stick by his decisions today and not cater to the anti-war cowards.
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Clark County Conservative

wpage · Lieutenant Joined: 03 Aug 2004 Posts: 213

SBD · Admiral Joined: 19 Aug 2004 Posts: 1022

Thanks for the response Lew!! I would have never learned the truth from anywhere else. When I saw this on the BBC, I thought I was going to see a heated exchange or maybe miracle like Hanoi Jane actually making a real apology. Instead, I was shown Hanoi Jane and the Former Defense Secretary agreeing with each other. I guess I should learn to expect no less from a Democrat.

SBD

BuffaloJack · Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 11:34 am Post subject:

I lumped MacNamara in with the anti-War crowd back in Reagan's administration when he made some very anti-American remarks about the U.S. intervention in Grenada. I didn't care for him much when I was in Viet Nam and it turned to genuine dislike when he pulled this leftist stunt. I think it was one of those usual items the MSM does where they pull out all the "has-beens" and hacks who haven't been in government or military for years so that they can be touted as expert commentators for a news (entertainment) piece.

Nothing drives me more nuts than to hear someone who's been retired from the military/government for several administrations and who is now second guessing the current administration as a news commentator/expert on national TV. Typically these guys have been out of the loop so long that they know nothing about the current situation to give an intelligent comment.
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Swift Boats - Qui Nhon (12/69-4/70), Cat Lo (4/70-5/70), Vung Tau (5/70-12/71)

I B Squidly · Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 6:24 pm Post subject:

Robert the Strange's epiphany came when his cocktail partners in Ann Arbor and Georgetown turned peacenik and started snubbing him. His self-flagellation is intended to regain him entry into fuzzy-warm.

Ignored his book but saw the film, "Fog of War". In it he repudiates his targetting work for Curtis LeMay. He completely evades the reasons for the US involvement in Viet Nam or the consequences of our departure. He does expound at length on 'proportionality' in war. 'Proportionality' is the flawed concept he still espouses that gave us 'graduated response', safe areas, 'escalating engagement' and all the other foolishness of fighting with one hand tied. Wish he'd read Sherman or Bedford Forrest instead of micro-managing the AR15/M16.
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"KILL ALL THE LAWYERS!"

-Wlm Shakespeare

streetsweeper95B · PO2 Joined: 25 Nov 2004 Posts: 365 Location: Texas

I was punk kid during 'Nam. I grew up with the harsh reality of "Bob" Mac and his flawed logic.

He was a statiscion? and nothing more. Oh yea, he held LBJ's ear pretty close by the way.

If any of you have the CD Movie of "We Were Soldiers" go to the deleted scenes and view the one of Lt Gen Moores 'debriefing' at Siagon.

He's played to the 'T' and it's pretty accurate. So 'Bob" Mac.......don't think everyone buys into your crap. Figures lie and liars figure. Bob was cold hearted.

He didnt give a rats ass about yall. Sorry if I have offended anyone.

I B Squidly · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 1:22 am Post subject:

No offense StreetSweeper,

Mac cared and cares for no one but himself. When the shine came off his 'Whiz Kid' personae he had a nervous breakdown. LBJ packed him off to the World Bank, a sinecure of no great moment in the booming 60s.

Yes, a statistician he immersed himself in micro-managing minutae. True, he came to SecDef during a battle royale between the Air Force and the Navy with the added complication of JFK's infatuation with Maxwell Taylor's scheme of counter-insurgency. Still he took it on himself to rewrite military stragegy in FoMoCo's cost-benefit analysis to the littlest detail where a healthier dose of "War is Hell" or "Firstest with the mostest" had expedience. His statistical preoccupation gave us the daily announcements of x number vehicles captured, body counts and and flawed demographics. The war was a balance sheet irrespective of of objective. Attempting to streamline DOD he short sheeted a war. Imagine Halleck telling Sherman "You're using too many bullets" or Marshall telling Ike "Nazis have rights." and you get a sense of it.
_________________
"KILL ALL THE LAWYERS!"

-Wlm Shakespeare