{"id":36397,"date":"2025-05-23T23:56:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T15:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/?p=36397"},"modified":"2025-08-09T11:56:32","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T03:56:32","slug":"the-fog-of-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/23\/the-fog-of-war\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;The Fog of War&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #ffffff;color:#ffffff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #ffffff;color:#ffffff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/23\/the-fog-of-war\/#Introduction\" >Introduction<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/23\/the-fog-of-war\/#Title_%E2%80%9CThe_Fog_of_War%E2%80%9D\" >Title &#8220;The Fog of War&#8221;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/23\/the-fog-of-war\/#Importance_of_this_film\" >Importance of this film<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/23\/the-fog-of-war\/#The_recognition_it_received\" >The recognition it received<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/23\/the-fog-of-war\/#What_does_this_documentary_talks_about\" >What does this documentary talks about?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/23\/the-fog-of-war\/#Contents_of_this_film\" >Contents of this film<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/23\/the-fog-of-war\/#The_protagonist_of_this_film\" >The protagonist of this film<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/23\/the-fog-of-war\/#Why_is_this_film_important\" >Why is this film important?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/23\/the-fog-of-war\/#Influence_on_US_for_nearly_a_hundred_years\" >Influence on US for nearly a hundred years<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/23\/the-fog-of-war\/#Related_articles\" >Related articles<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduction\"><\/span>Introduction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Title_%E2%80%9CThe_Fog_of_War%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>Title &#8220;The Fog of War&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0317910\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Fog of War<\/a>&#8220;, whose full name is &#8220;The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara&#8221;, is a 2003 American documentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Importance_of_this_film\"><\/span>Importance of this film<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This film has a very high status in the American documentary, political, defense, cultural, and historical circles. Almost all contemporary American celebrities include this documentary in their list of documentaries recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_recognition_it_received\"><\/span>The recognition it received<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Fog of War won the 2004 Academy Award for Best Documentary and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary. In 2019, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress for being &#8220;culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_this_documentary_talks_about\"><\/span>What does this documentary talks about?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Contents_of_this_film\"><\/span>Contents of this film<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The film is mainly composed of recordings of US Cabinet conversations in the 1960s and new interviews with former US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, who looks back on his life from the perspective of an 87-year-old man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_protagonist_of_this_film\"><\/span>The protagonist of this film<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The protagonist of this film, McNamara, is the longest-serving Secretary of Defense in U.S. history. Robert Strange McNamara, an American businessman and politician, served as CEO and chairman of Ford Motor Company (ticker: F) for a long time, as U.S. Secretary of Defense (1961-1968, the longest-serving Secretary of Defense in U.S. history) and President of the World Bank for 13 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During World War II, McNamara served as an officer in the Army Air Forces under General Curtis LeMay, who later became Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force during McNamara&#8217;s tenure as Secretary of Defense. After the war, McNamara became one of Ford&#8217;s &#8220;prodigies&#8221; and briefly served as its president before being appointed Secretary of Defense by the new President John F. Kennedy, a position he held until 1968 during the presidency of Lyndon Johnson. McNamara discusses his involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis and the escalation of the Vietnam War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McNamara was mentioned in the book of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/03\/18\/same-as-ever\/\">&#8220;Same As Ever&#8221;<\/a>, to describe a key message, the author wants to deliver to readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_this_film_important\"><\/span>Why is this film important?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The film is divided into 11 parts based on the &#8220;lessons&#8221; that director Morris drew from his interviews with McNamara, which also correspond to the 11 lessons McNamara put forward in the last chapter of his 1995 book Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam, co-authored with Brian VanDeMark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These lessons, and the review in this film, almost all hit the crux of the problem, causing Americans to reflect and influencing U.S. national policies to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Influence_on_US_for_nearly_a_hundred_years\"><\/span>Influence on US for nearly a hundred years<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>During his tenure as Secretary of Defense, McNamara witnessed two major events that influenced American public opinion, politics, academia, culture, history, and national defense for nearly a hundred years: the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. This is why McNamara and this documentary are so important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"90\" height=\"135\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/the-fog-of-war-Custom.jpg\" alt=\"The Fog of War\" class=\"wp-image-36398\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_articles\"><\/span>Related articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/23\/the-fog-of-war\/\">&#8220;The Fog of War&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/08\/08\/jose-mujica-cordanno\/\">Jose Mujica Cordanno, a great president worth remembering<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/06\/04\/top-10-stock-movies\/\">Top 10 stock movies<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/03\/18\/same-as-ever\/\">&#8220;Same As Ever&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/03\/30\/problematic-personality\/\">Stay away from people problematic personality<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/07\/die-kunst-des-klaren-denkens\/\">&#8220;Die Kunst des klaren Denkens&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/03\/26\/titan-john-d-rockefeller\/\">&#8220;Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, SR.&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2022\/08\/25\/richer-wiser-happier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Richer, Wiser, Happier<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2023\/11\/13\/the-millionaire-fastlane\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Unconventional &#8220;The Millionaire Fastlane&#8221;<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2021\/05\/30\/secrets-of-the-millionaire-mind\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Secrets of the Millionaire Mind<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2023\/08\/27\/love-your-job-reputation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Protect your reputation and love your job<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2024\/08\/15\/dream-big-and-win\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">You can &#8220;Dream big and Win&#8221; also<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2021\/05\/27\/rich-dad-poor-dad\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rich dad, poor dad<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2022\/12\/01\/psychology-of-money\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Psychology of Money<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2022\/04\/25\/the-almanack-of-naval-ravikant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">An excellent book for career and life- The Almanack of Naval Ravikant<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2024\/02\/15\/paul-gettys-how-to-be-rich\/\">Paul Getty&#8217;s &#8220;How to be rich&#8221;, by the world&#8217;s richest man in the mid-20th century<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Disclaimer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>The content of this site is the author\u2019s personal opinions and is for reference only. I am not responsible for the correctness, opinions, and immediacy of the content and information of the article. Readers must make their own judgments.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>I shall not be liable for any damages or other legal liabilities for the direct or indirect losses caused by the readers&#8217; direct or indirect reliance on and reference to the information on this site, or all the responsibilities arising therefrom, as a result of any investment behavior.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;The fog of war&#8221; has a very high status in the American documentary, political, defense, cultural, and historical circles. Almost all contemporary American celebrities include this documentary in their list of documentaries recommended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36398,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1494,1336,1496],"tags":[506],"class_list":["post-36397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-documentary","category-critical-decision","category-great-people","tag-f"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36397"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37672,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36397\/revisions\/37672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}