The Fog of War

The term fog of war is a term used by Clausewitz in reference to how chaotic warfare can seem while you are in it... -- Scott Berkun The Art of Project Management (O'Reilly 2005 ISBN 0-596-00786-8)

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The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, is a documentary film directed by Errol Morris and released in December 2003. The film includes an original score by Philip Glass and won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Related Topics:
Documentary - Errol Morris - 2003 - Philip Glass - Academy Award - Best Documentary Feature

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It traces the life of Robert Strange McNamara, United States Secretary of Defense from 1961 to 1968. While the Vietnam War is clearly the focus of the debate about McNamara's legacy, the film begins during perhaps an even more crucial event in world history: the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. From this event comes one of the 11 lessons McNamara recounts of his life and service: "You have to empathize with your enemy."

Related Topics:
Robert Strange McNamara - United States Secretary of Defense - 1961 - 1968 - Vietnam War - Cuban Missile Crisis

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McNamara was interviewed for over 20 hours for the film. He can sound callous and calculating at times, such as when he recounts his job in target damage analysis from bombing runs led by General Curtis LeMay over Japan towards the end of World War II. It is soon obvious however, that he understands the moral dilemmas of warfare and the death of civilians. He also recounts many of the mistakes of the Vietnam War.

Related Topics:
Curtis LeMay - Japan - World War II

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In a 2004 appearance at UC Berkeley, Morris said that he was inspired to create the movie after reading McNamara's 2001 book (with James G. Blight), Wilson's Ghost: Reducing the Risk of Conflict, Killing, and Catastrophe in the 21st Century. The entire webcast can be found at UC Berkeley News. When pushed to apply his "lessons" to the US invasion of Iraq, McNamara refused, arguing that former Secretaries of Defense should not comment on the policy of the current Secretary of Defense. McNamara suggested that other people were welcome to apply his lessons to Iraq if they wanted to, but that he would not explicitly do it, and noted that his lessons were more general than any particular military conflict (he had indeed written them some time before the Iraq war).

Related Topics:
2004 - UC Berkeley - Wilson's Ghost - US invasion of Iraq

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