Robert McNamara, RIP

Love him, hate him, or both, Robert McNamara died Monday at the age of 93. His life was interesting enough, but he had a massive effect on world history, from American foreign policy as well as how America and the rest of the world viewed the United States military from the 1960s right up until 1983.

Whatever one’s views on how much he takes credit for, or blame for, the Vietnam War, it is essential to recognize the McNamara effect—the Czar was worried POTUS Obama was making the same mistakes, and although your Volgi would not go quite that far (and the Volgi so far has proved to be right), there seems to be agreement that the lasting travesty of Việt Nam stems from the hubris of McNamara and others. And McNamara did not later deny it.

The Czar will come right down to it: the life and times of McNamara are essential in understanding American history since 1961. He was critically important to two Presidents, and we still see his legacy in foreign policy to this day.

Instead, though, we find the news media still fawning over Michael Jackson, omigod, because, like he was the King of Pop and therefore deserves at least as much posthumous obsession as Princess Diana, and like, McNamara was like this old guy like my grandpa? You know?