I think the human race needs to think about killing. How much evil must we do to do good?

- Robert Mcnamara

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

One must take draconian measures of demographic reduction against the will of the populations. Reducing the birth rate has proved to be impossible or…

- Robert Mcnamara

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…

- Robert Mcnamara

The war in Vietnam is going well and will succeed.

- Robert Mcnamara

Never answer the question that is asked of you. Answer the question that you wish had been asked of you.

- Robert Mcnamara

We do not have the God-given right to shape every nation in our image or as we choose.

- Robert Mcnamara

Poor planning or poor execution of plans is simply to let some force other than reason shape reality.

- Robert Mcnamara

A computer does not substitute for judgment any more than a pencil substitutes for literacy. But writing without a pencil is no particular advantage.

- Robert Mcnamara