Machiavelli said it best way back in 1532:

"Put not your trust in princes, bureaucrats and generals; they'll plead expedience while spilling your blood from a safe distance. "

Of course, the poor and ill educated or intellectually disadvantaged will not be able to read let alone comprehend its warning.

But just like Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War', Machiavelli's 'The Prince' is required reading at West Point and Annapolis.

IOW, just like McNamara and others of his sorry ilk, they continue to know what they were and are doing.

You're right, "It's an on-going problem. "