"We burned to death 100,000 Japanese civilians in Tokyo - men, women and children. LeMay recognized that what he was doing would be thought immoral if his side had lost. But what makes it immoral if you lose and not immoral if you win?"
- Robert McNamara
About this Quote
This quote by Robert McNamara is a reflection on the morality of war. It describes the firebombing of Tokyo throughout World War II, which resulted in the death of 100,000 Japanese civilians. McNamara suggests that the morality of the act depends on the result of the war. If the Allied forces had lost, the firebombing would have been thought about immoral, however since they won, it is not viewed as such. This quote highlights the hypocrisy of war and the double standards that exist when it pertains to morality. It also serves as a tip of the disastrous consequences of war and the significance of thinking about the morality of our actions, regardless of the result.
"Raising children is an incredibly hard and risky business in which no cumulative wisdom is gained: each generation repeats the mistakes the previous one made"
"At the heart of the Reggio Emilia approach is the belief that children are full of potential, competent, and capable of constructing their own learning"