To this day we seem to act in the world as though we know what's right for everybody. Robert McNamara More Quotes by Robert McNamara More Quotes From Robert McNamara We do not have the God-given right to shape every nation in our image or as we choose. Robert McNamara foreign-policy given shapes I want to say, and this is very important: at the end we lucked out. It was luck that prevented nuclear war. We came that close to nuclear war at the end. Rational individuals: Kennedy was rational; Khrushchev was rational; Castro was rational. Rational individuals came that close to total destruction of their societies. And that danger exists today. Robert McNamara luck important war Measure what is important, don't make important what you can measure Robert McNamara important business management If we'd lost the war, we'd all have been prosecuted as war criminals. And I think he's right. He, and I'd say I, were behaving as war criminals. Robert McNamara criminals war thinking In order to do good, you may have to engage in evil Robert McNamara evil may order The war in Vietnam is going well and will succeed. Robert McNamara vietnam succeed war Never answer the question that is asked of you. Answer the question that you wish had been asked of you. Robert McNamara answers wish Poor planning or poor execution of plans is simply to let some force other than reason shape reality. Robert McNamara poor-planning shapes reality One must take draconian measures of demographic reduction against the will of the populations. Reducing the birth rate has proved to be impossible or insufficient. One must therefore increase the mortality rate. How? By natural means. Famine and sickness Robert McNamara birth-rate population mean There are many ways to make the death rate increase. Robert McNamara rate increase way Kennedy was trying to keep us out of war. I was trying to help him keep us out of war. And General Curtis LeMay, whom I served under as a matter of fact in World War II, was saying "Let's go in, let's totally destroy Cuba." Robert McNamara cuba At my age, 85, I'm at age where I can look back and derive some conclusions about my actions. My rule has been try to learn, try to understand what happened. Develop the lessons and pass them on. Robert McNamara age trying war There is no more important task in a democracy than resolving the differences among people and finding a course of action that will be supported by a sufficient number to permit the nation to achieve a better life for all. Robert McNamara differences numbers people The indefinite combination of human fallibility and nuclear weapons will lead to the destruction of nations. Robert McNamara call-of-duty nuclear weapons The picture of the world's greatest superpower killing or seriously injuring 1,000 noncombatants a week, while trying to pound a tiny backward nation into submission on an issue whose merits are hotly disputed, is not a pretty one. Robert McNamara issues trying world Brains are like hearts - they go where they are appreciated. Robert McNamara broken-heart leadership love It was a perfectly beautiful night, as fall nights are in Washington. I walked out of the president's Oval Office, and as I walked out, I thought I might never live to see another Saturday night. Robert McNamara beautiful night fall Short of nuclear war itself, population growth is the gravest issue the world faces. If we do not act, the problem will be solved by famine, riots, insurrection and war. Robert McNamara issues growth war I formed the hypothesis that each of us could have achieved our objectives without the terrible loss of life. And I wanted to test that by going to Vietnam. Robert McNamara vietnam tests loss That's one of the major lessons: no president should ever take this nation to war without full public debate in the Congress and/or in the public. Robert McNamara patriotic president war
