"Fog of War" Prep

In “Fog of War”, we hear Robert S. McNamara speak candidly about World War II, as well as his experiences as Secretary of Defense under President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. To help put the difficulty and moral ambiguity of these VERY tough issues into perspective, we’ll spend a little time on this group assignment (borrowed from the Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University, www.choices.edu). 

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Values in a Time of War

“War is hell!” declared General William Sherman in early 1865 as he surveyed the devastation brought by his 60,000 Union troops to the people of Georgia at the close of the Civil War. War raises agonizing moral questions. When a democratic society goes to war, the decisions made and actions taken are not just the responsibility of those in authority, but are the collective responsibility of the people. Once war has begun, few Americans would question that bringing the conflict to a speedy conclusion is a justifiable goal, or end. The moral difficulty comes in deciding which military actions, or means, should be employed to attain a worthy end. McNamara talks about this issue during The Fog of War.

· Do morals have a place in war?

· How does “proportionality” figure into war?

· Does proportionality matter more or less depending on whether you win or lose a war?

Below is a list of potential bombing targets for your air force. Your assignment is to consider each of the targets in terms of its military significance and moral implications. Your task is to decide whether the means of aerial bombardment are justified by the ends, or goals. Rate each potential target on a scale of 1 (completely unjustified) to 10 (completely justified). Explain your group’s reasoning for each rating.

POTENTIAL TARGET RATING

1. Enemy troops in the field. ________ Why?

2. Military training camps. ________ Why?

3. Factories in cities producing military supplies. ________ Why?

4. Homes of civilians working in military factories. ________ Why?

5. Food supplies for the military. ________ Why?

6. Food supplies for civilians. ________ Why?

7. Military hospitals. ________ Why?

8. Residential neighborhoods of major cities. ________ Why?

9. Trains and ships carrying troops. ________ Why?

10. Trains and ships carrying both civilians and troops. ________ Why?

11. High schools. ________ Why?

12. Universities involved in military research. ________ Why?