Andrew Price
Former Web Editor, GOOD.is
- January 14, 2009 • 1:18 am PST
- + responses
In light of the situation in Gaza, it might be worthwhile to revisit this clip of Vietnam-era defense secretary Robert McNamara talking about proportionality from the excellent documentary Fog of War. As someone who was making the hard decisions of war himself a few short decades ago, McNamara has a unique perspective on these things.
Heavy stuff. McNamara seems to come down on the side of just war theory, concluding that the force you're willing to use in war should be proportionate to your objectives. In the case of Gaza, it's unclear to me that any amount of force will stop the rockets from Hamas, which is what makes this such a catch-22 for Israel.
Heavy stuff. McNamara seems to come down on the side of just war theory, concluding that the force you're willing to use in war should be proportionate to your objectives. In the case of Gaza, it's unclear to me that any amount of force will stop the rockets from Hamas, which is what makes this such a catch-22 for Israel.
