I think the most HN-relevant elements of the fallacy are not about quantitative vs. qualitative. > The McNamara Fallacy is to presume that (A) quantitative mod

I think the most HN-relevant elements of the fallacy are not about quantitative vs. qualitative. > The McNamara Fallacy is to presume that (A) quantitative models of reality are always more accurate than other models; (B) the quantitative measurements that can be made most easily must be the most relevant; and (C) factors other than those currently being used in quantitative metrics must either not exist or not have a significant influence on success. (A) is quant vs. qual, but (B) and (C) are about fooling yourself into thinking you're doing something useful just because you're quantitative. And while I agree with pretty much all your commentary about the war, I think this would be a very qualitative (not quantitative) assessment on McNamara's part: > It is not clear whether such a poll has been commissioned but McNamara probably knew what the results would be, because the US never permitted a free election in South Vietnam. Thus, faced with a simple quantitative fact against the war, the quantitative managerial McNamara ignored it and suppressed it.