The Politics of Heroism

"He never has, and as someone steeped in military tradition, he's all too aware that a flyer who gets shot down is disparaged by his peers, not lionized, hence the joke."
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Eleanor, you couldn't be more wrong. A pilot who is shot down in not disparaged. On the contrary, we do everything in our power to save him or her, knowing it could very well have happened to us. We all know that when the stuff hits the fan, it sometimes happens that your skill level doesn't matter, the aircraft is going down. What pilot McCain said about his mishap was in keeping with the pilot tradition of downplaying the "pucker factor."

When something goes wrong in the air, the possibilities of what can happen are limited to you overcoming the situation or (usually) dying. Pilots often downplay their heroics and their fear, making light of things that would frighten others into immobility. They put a premium on staying cool under pressure, hence, a serious emergency - or enemy action - is referred to as "a problem" and, when in a lighter mood, a catastrophe averted is simply another example of their own stupidity overcome.

I certainly honor John McCain???s service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others as pilot and as a prisoner of war. However,
Eleanor it is unfortunate that you often take the opportunity as a member of the main stream media to defend and protect John McCain under any circumstance. For the past 26 years no mention is made - good, bad or indifferent - of John McCain without the writer or speaker reciting some version of the phrase ..."I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others". You, the media and the Republican Party enforce the repetitions. God forbid anyone say McCain???s name without the accompanying phrase. Over that 26 years a version of that statement has been recited more frequently then the Pledge of Allegiance ??? (except for school children). That plus McCain's daily feigning of innocence (that he never mentions it) before alluding to his service and then it???s subsequent recitation by anyone who precedes McCain to the microphone is actually a constant announcement that his military service in a POW camp for five years is the perfect experience to be President and the further implication that he deserves it as a reward for the five years as a POW, renders your columns focus bogus.

Radical Centrism, Centrism, Triangulation. Anyone who wants to be President has to understand these concepts. We will pull out of Iraq when OBAMA takes the Presidency. However, every President has to listen to those "in charge" of the war before any Military decisions are made. THOSE IN CHARGE OF THE WAR HAve already started to build A HUNDRED YEAR FOUNDATION in IRAQ. McCAIN INTENDS TO FINISH THE JOB.

THOSE IN CHARGE OF THE WAR HAVE ECONOMIC INTERESTS IN IRAQ. THEY WILL MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT TO PULL OUR TROOPS OUT.

OBAMA IS ALREADY ACTING LIKE AN EXPERIENCED PRESIDENT.

People need to understand a UNIVERSAL LAW

NOTHING IS CONSTANT

THINGS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING. IT IS PART OF HUMAN EVOLUTION.

Guess you are right about the money that has been coined in Iraq, notroubleatall, Lots of money in those democracy crusades. And as far as Bush's religious fervor is concerned, I give it no more credit than a way for him to get off of the juice, sober up, and run for Moron of the U.S.A. It's a crutch to take the place of the alcohol crutch. Fakery for sure.

I haven't really been following this flap, but it sounds largely like a media trap more than anything really substantive. McCain is down by 6 points vs. Obama in the CNN poll of polls so I don't think any of this helped him much.

We have had 8 years with a moron in office, who essentially evaded serving in the military and who swiftboated McCain - McCain should have been our president these last eight years instead of the idiot we "elected" - now it's too late, I suspect. He is honorable and unimaginably courageous - his strength of character and heroism bring tears to my eyes if I pause to really even try to think of what he must have suffered during captivity.

But it seems that Obama will prevail in the election - he will surround himself with great advisors and for the most part, he'll be covered for any perceived "weakness' -- but it will be such a relief to have someone back in the White House with a brain again.

The saddest part of it all is the ignorance of our president. He claims that he will be considered great in years to come for all the good that he has done us in the Mideast. He also has tried to inject religion into our public arena by funding religious entities in substitution for previously governmental functions. What causes it to be so sad is his ignorance of any religion other than his narrow view of it, and his abysmal failure to understand how governments relate on the international scene through carefully designed diplomacy. He needed the narrow religious view to combat his alcoholism and somehow managed to graduate from Yale without studying history and government. Might add the subject of English grammar to that list.

FROM THE GALLUP POLLING:

80% OF AMERICANS SEE MCCAIN AS CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMANDER IN CHIEF:


July 3, 2008
Nearly All Americans Consider Military Service PATRIOTIC

Symbolic gestures valued more highly by older Americans and the less educated

by Lymari Morales

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Nearly two-thirds of Americans (62%) say serving in the U.S. military reveals "a great deal" about one's patriotism, ranking it second only to voting in elections among six items rated in a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. More than half of Americans (53%) say the same about reciting the pledge of allegiance, and far fewer about wearing an American flag pin.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama spent much of this Independence Day week trying to assure voters of his patriotism, having been faulted during the Democratic primary season for at times not wearing an American flag pin, and for not placing his hand over his heart during the national anthem on at least one occasion. Obama's speech on Monday, entitled "The America We Love," included praise for Republican rival John McCain's service to his country in Vietnam, in response to retired Gen. Wesley Clark's statement that McCain's experience as a Navy pilot and prisoner of war does not necessarily qualify him to be commander in chief.

McCain's service in Vietnam is generally considered an advantage in this wartime election against Obama, who has never served in the military, and a key reason why:

80% OF AMERICANS SEE MCCAIN AS CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMANDER IN CHIEF:

The Gallup data reveal that Americans do in fact consider military service in general to be a sign of patriotism. While Republicans are among the most likely of all groups to say serving in the military reveals a great deal about one's patriotism, more than half of both Democrats and independents agree. Republicans also tend to place more value on saying the pledge of allegiance and wearing an American flag pin, while independents align more closely with Democrats, who are generally less likely to place a high value on each action.

source: http://www.gallup.com/poll/108646/Nearly-All-Americans-Consider-Military-Service-Patriotic.aspx

JULY 4TH. ??? A COMMEMORATION OF ENLIGHTENMENT

http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/07/july-4th-celebration-of-great-minds.html

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What is most remarkable about most of the anti-McCain comments in this column is how incredibly unnecessary the whole discussion is. Anybody who is looking for a reason to not vote for Sen. McCain certainly does not have to look back to his experience as a POW to find adequate justification. A statement does not have to be false to be stupid, arrogant or disrespectful. Gen. Clark made a statement which, whether it was true or not, was stupid, arrogant and disrespectful. (His cloying reference to McCain as a hero in the statements, placed in the context of the rest of his statement was as sincere as telling your lover that if she weren???t so ugly, she would be beautiful.) And it would appear that the supporters of his point of view are so arrogant and disrespectful of others that they cannot consider the possibility that they do not need to destroy every single quality in the people with whom they disagree. Certainly Sen. McCain made his views unequivocably clear on efforts by the Swiftboaters to similarly denigrate Sen. Kerry???s war experience. Denying the possibility that anything of value could have come out of Sen. McCain???s experience is more a reflection of the stupidity of presidential politics (no matter your affiliation) than it is a reflection of anything resembling a search for the truth.

I have seen 14 presidential elections. And I have seen the worst of discourse between the candidates. But in this new age of gotcha politics and the internet I have seen partisans on both sides who are no longer satisfied with a simple, dignified victory. Both sides seem to crave victories which leave the vanquished without a shred of dignity. The winners, whoever they may be, will not be satisfied until they have denigrated everything the losers hold dear. It really does not matter if Obama is a uniter. Neither his followers nor his opponents will stand for being united after this is all over. Certainly there is nothing in discussions like this to suggest that any of the partisans have any reason to seek unity with their opponents.

Howard Metzenbaum...founder of The National Lawyers guild, quietly spitting at the US military for all these years.
general clark: wants to hang around influencial Liberals and will spit on a fellow service member to improve his chances!
John kerry....joined the discrimination Campaign against military experts and profesionals ..to become and influencial Liberal!
These are society's ten percent who are sick people.