Fog of War

Nearly 160 million humans were killed throughout the 20th century. In the film The Fog of War, film maker Errol Morris vividly captured the reasons for this mass 'genocide' in documentary form. Arnold McNamara, former US secretary of defense during the Kennedy Administration was interviewed throughout the film, and the two both discussed and analyzed some of the most defining periods in US history.

My understanding of war is that it occurs due to a conflict between two or more groups or parties. In many cases, these problems happen because of misunderstanding that probably failed to be discussed or explored. This film captured the psychological intensity and drama that happens when war occurs, and the devastation it can potentially cause. The documentary opened my eyes to the complexities of war and, essentially, the difficulties of conflict resolution in a time of imminent danger - for the World.

The movie was set up in 11 lessons. Of these lessons, the one I found to be most critically necessary was: empathize with your enemy. This is especially necessary in war and in general. If we think about the situation in Vietnam, for example, we can analyze what went wrong and why we weren't successful; we did not empathize with our allies or enemy. We refused to understand why they were fighting or the terms that would have allowed them to finish the battle, thus our invasion was abortive and we were never able to come to an acceptable solution.

McNamara stated that with the Soviets, 'we did put ourselves in their skin', but with the Vietnamese, we didn't know them well enough to empathize, resulting in mass destruction with no agreeable solution. The complexities that exist in War are perpetual. Neither party wants to go into war but, when no solution is met, it is inevitable.

By empathizing with your enemy, you are given the opportunity to see the situation from their perspectives. You are forced to analyze the reasons for your dispute/conflict, and, in effect, are given the 'advantage' of having the upper hand. Further, in conflict, one must know or at least have some idea of, their opponents next move. Not to say that empathizing with your enemy allows you manipulate your opponent, but ultimately allows room for conflict resolution.

Finally, I found this film moving, educational, and inspirational. The tactics that Mr. McNamara emphasizes in the film prove both effective and