Robert McNamara "was an instinctive liberal, driving a battered Ford, living in university suburbs..."
"He saw himself as an 'enlightened rationalist'."
(Robert McNamara The Economist)
And he burnt lots of babies to death.
He was US Secretary of Defence from 1961 to 1968.
And during that time the USA carried out saturation bombing in Vietnam.
From 1961 to 1971, the U.S. military sprayed Vietnam with Agent Orange, which contained Dioxin
McNamara knew about the highly toxic effects of Agent Orange, made by Dow Chemical.
In 1965, Dow's internal report stated that dioxin could be "exceptionally toxic" to humans and that "fatalities have been reported in the literature."
McNamara attended meetings where the human health hazards of dioxin were discussed.
McNamara's 'other' crimes: the stories you haven't heard.
Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange.
"The Vietnamese who were exposed to the chemical have suffered from cancer, liver damage, pulmonary and heart diseases, defects to reproductive capacity, and skin and nervous disorders.
"Children and grandchildren of those exposed have severe physical deformities, mental and physical disabilities, diseases, and shortened life spans.
"The forests and jungles in large parts of southern Vietnam have been devastated and denuded. They may never grow back and if they do, it will take 50 to 200 years to regenerate.
"Animals that inhabited the forests and jungles have become extinct, disrupting the communities that depended on them. The rivers and underground water in some areas have also been contaminated." - Brutal daily reality: agent Orange Continues to Poison Vietnam and ...
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2 comments:
Not forgetting the fire-bombing of Tokyo. That was his gig. More people died in that than in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Also not forgetting that in the USS Liberty affair, McNamara, in spite of not having been told whodunnit nor even knowing if the Liberty had sunk or not, launched nuclear armed A4's at Egypt.
The only reason McNamara didn't become the second person in history (with LBJ sure enough) to have used nukes is because the Israelis failed to sink the most lightly armed boat in the US Navy and the nukes were recalled. Which is to say 'sheer dumb luck'.
If anyone is dubious on this, just hit google movies and find 'Dead in the Water' by the BBC. Worth watching!
And hey Aangirfan! Always a treat.
shock...
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