Celebrating the life

[Darren]

Celebrating the life of Robert S. McNamara. 93 years old, past away this a.m. Secretary of Defense for Kennedy and Johnson. The designer of the Viet Nam War, that cost the lives 58,000 plus Americans plus 1,000s of wounded and lost of body limbs. In 1993 he came out with a book and confessed that in 1967 he knew the war was lost but did not know how to pull out the troops. History can be a wonderful thing if only people will learn by it. Look at us now. Still just as stupid. We the people, stupid for letting stupid people from all parties run this our country. Oh, what does this have to do with racing. How many of the 58,000 or 1000's of wounded could have become great racecar drivers? How many could have been safety designers that could have saved racers lives? That could save you people heart problems after you watch a race on t.v. and complain about this and that.
McNamara lived to be 93, alot longer then he allowed a few of by Army buddies. Hope you all had a great 4th of July.

[Todd McCreary]

Robert McNamara dead. Michael Jackson dead. Saddam Hussein dead.

the world's getting better all the time!

[john tenney]

I can't believe you are blaming all of Kennedy and Johnson's screwups on McNamara. Pretty lame. Very lame.

[Darren]

As I said

in my post. History can be a wonderful thing. You have to know it first. McNamara designed it and sold it to Johnson. JFK started it but was gone before the real thing started. You don't think LBJ gave McNamara orders on what to do, do you? other then to win so he could get relected. That would be the same as Bush telling Rumsfeld how to win in Iraq. However, done of them could find the way out of a open paper bag either.

[Todd McCreary]

I can't believe you are blaming all of Kennedy and Johnson's screwups on McNamara.

i ... don't know that he was?

i mean, Kennedy ( the Bay of Pigs was a study in incompetence ) and Johnson screwed up a lot more than just Vietnam.




You don't think LBJ gave McNamara orders on what to do

actually, given that LBJ would occasionally micromanage the war down to the point that he was directing daily bombing flights, yes i do think that LBJ gave McNamara specific orders on what to do.

not that this excuses McNamara in any way. "Following Orders" is no defense at a human rights tribunal.

[HaudFan]

Actually, McNamara worked for FORD Motor Company before he joined the Kennedy Administration...But in his book, "In Retrospect" he admitted that the intelligence was wrong and that they tried to "manage Vietnam" in the early stages. He admits some failings in the book.

[Darren]

In his own words

"wrong terribly wrong to pursue the Vietnam War as they did." Also he mention the fact that they misunderstood Asia and Vietnam in particular. Near the end of Rumsfeld rule, he said the same thing, we just didn't know enought about the culture of the people we are fighing. Anyone that was taught 10th grade world history in the 50's and 60's knew more about the culture of the people we are now fighting then our government. History, history, history is very important. So is the history of stock car racing. Nascar needs to remember that. Had to throw that in to keep this as a racing post.