Nevertheless, he spent five years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese. No matter what happened in those five years, he suffered through them as a military officer of the United States Navy.
It is, therefore, less than stupid to cast aspersions on the man for getting captured as The Donald has done recently. Does Mr. Trump have any military record whatsoever? Does Mr. Trump have the wherewithall to give up five years of his life, to be treated harshly, beaten on numerous occasions, with no hope on the horizon? My god, what would happen to his hair?
Republicans, especially those other 15 running for president, don't seem to hold much affection for Mr. Trump. Why, they've been literally falling all ass over heels to suggest that Mr. Trump should never say such nasty things about Mr. McCain. One should never castigate a veteran of the US military. It's just terrible, what Mr. Trump has done!
Ho, ho. What a crock! What a flock of hypocrites! When little Buski the 2nd was running for a 2nd term, his opponent, Mr. John Kerry, was vilified by the Republicans as a phony, as a faux hero, as one who had doctored records, one who was using his military service as a means of gaining votes.
And the president's brother, the guv of Florida supported them!
On January 1, 2005, Governor Jeb Bush wrote a letter to Colonel Day of the Swift Boaters on his official stationary. It said, in part:
"Colonel Day, I know you'll be joining other Swifties--POWs in Orlando soon. Please let them know that I am personally appreciative of their service to our nation. As someone who truly understands the risk of standing up for something, I simply cannot express in words how much I value their willingness to stand up against John Kerry. Their efforts, like their service to our country, speak volumes about what matters most."
[An aside: I don't know what the hell ol' Jeb risked to stand up for except the chance of going to jail for doing everything legal and illegal in his power to get his brother elected four years earlier! Other than that, he led a charmed life with more money than he knew what to do with.]
If you were around in 2004-2005 you may remember "the vicious campaign Republicans waged against John Kerry for his service in Vietnam ... Secretary of State Kerry received not one, not two, but three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star during his combat time in Vietnam. [I'd add he served in a particularly difficult situation in that war.] Nevertheless, Republicans mocked and belittled his military service throughout the campaign. It was a key feature of the 2004 Republican National Convention, when delegates and supporters wore cutesy purple bandages in an effort to degrade the Purple Hearts Kerry was awarded."
None of this should surprise anyone. Lies, deceit, gaming the system - this characterizes the Republican Party as a whole.
Thanks for Daily Kos for some of the above material.
4 comments:
It speaks well of Kerry that he spoke up in defence of McCain.
Trump is one of the most- if not the most- despicable human beings on the planet.
Just like the rule that you must support the President in time of war ended in Jan 2009, it is now unacceptable to besmirch a veteran's military record. And they don't even blush!They are incapable of shame.
McCain's situation is the prison camp was not entirely unique. Some of the captives in his unit had been there far longer than he and also resisted, as he did. They all deserved praise for their behavior and some more than he, as they were of a higher rank and singled out for the worst treatment. Some went on to a long and respected careers in the Navy after being released at the end of the war. OTHERS DIED IN PRISON DUE TO THE TREATMENT.
Trump evaded the draft while at school, then got more deferments for a sore foot. He also stated that he “was no fan of the Vietnam War” He has never served the government in any way! His original wealth was inherited from his successful father, who was a developer and had many friends that helped Junior. He was and still is a spoiled brat, a serial bankrupt, losing other people’s money who paid him to use the brand name of Trump. He is a phony!
Back to McCain: His capture was an example of his lack of control, evident all during his training.
He disobeyed orders, by flying too low in combat and was shot down! He crashed a number of planes over his career, was saved only by his illustrious father and grandfather’s ranks and the influence they had. His very wealthy wife’s money has sustained him and paid for his political campaigns. He is still a shoot-from-the-hip, without-regard-for-the consequences kind of guy and thinks war is the answer to every slight or problem. He is likeable and outspoken, but not too smart.He would have been a disaster, with or without Sarah Palin, as President.
Kerry has been getting a raw deal since he was called a phony hero and his medals were questioned unfairly. Eventually the man that backed the attacks against him apologized sincerely. Kerry enlisted , when he could have escaped the draft, as so many did to avoid danger and inconvenience. He served originally on a relatively soft berth, then volunteered for very dangerous duty and did well. Most such duty requires lots of testing before being selected in any of the Special Services in the Navy, Many are dropped before finishing training, as the testing continues, until the courses are finished. The duty was dangerous and the name calling was disgraceful and went on for years! Kerry has done a good job in all his roles and in my opinion is an honorable and brave man. I do not have to agree with his politics to admire him, but I do! His detractors are not all honorable people and should be ashamed of themselves.
I have not considered McCain a true hero, in the sense the word is usually used but he tried to serve as best he could and did. He is outspoken, but in my opinion does not always think his positions out thoroughly, but he does the very best he can. He is honest and fair as opposed to too many of his peers who are cowardly sneak thieves for political reasons only. McCain deserves respect for many qualities. He seems to have a problem understanding complex issues and potential consequences, but his motives are generally honest. Let those without sin thow the first stone, then allow the victim to fight back in a fair fight!
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