The only good Bush policies were provided by McCain. Obama is a Bush-type cokehead.
The only good Bush policies were provided by McCain. Obama is a Bush-type cokehead.
Of course, Obama is more appealing to other world citizens......HE"S A SOCIALIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
You are a socialist!!!!
Thanks!
I guess 'Socialist' is another of the right's dirty words like 'liberal', of course 'communism', 'democrats'... Here's another series of bad words derived from the same root: social security, social worker... bad bad bad, I'm so alarmed.
It isn't the world voting for president, it is United States Citizens. You are correct, we are the only ones who can elect our next president, and others' opinions, while valuable, in the end do not carry any weight. USA!
Homosexuals should not be aloud to spend time with children and corrupt there minds. Homosexuality is just as wrong as Murder they are both depraved sick crimes against what is natural.
Both these crimes fly in the face of what is normal decient human behavior.
Anyone that supports homosexual activity is a contributor to it.
Homosexuality is wrong.
Its is not diversity it is perverisity
They should be given the mental help they need.
It is not about left or right wing politics its about right and wrong.
Homosexuality is wrong and always will be just because you say its not does not mean its true.
Hate what is wrong not the individual only the crime.
Homosexuality is a choice just as murder is a choice just as child abuse is a choice you can choose not too if you want to.
You are just twisted!
Well, Obumer should feel right at home in Arabia!
Why would he? He is not Arabic, he's father is African
I think he was referring to B.H.O. past muslim ties.
Hispanics. Al combate. Unite. Look around you. What have years of supporting the Democratic Party done for us? The dissolution of our families. Lack of education for our children. High crime rates in our communities. Look at Chicago,where 40 years of Democratic mayors has produced nothing but despair, segregation, and alienation. Who are the Hispanic leaders in Chicago. Sycophants. Daley controls everything. This is the system that has given rise to Obama. It is time for a change. Let us give John McCain our votes. Let us together build a new America.
GET LOST...get something with Substances to write.......You're wasting YOUR time ..Republican.8 yrs Bullshit dont help you either here ...Go away
Si se puede. Si se puede. Un pueblo unido jamas sera vencido. Al combate. Toque de guerra.
necesitamos Hillary
usted se puso sabe lo que el significado en español lo que usted habla de mas usted consiguió intestinos para esparcir las mentiras en el alife hispano de comunidad.consigue que usted es un gran mentirosoy perro republicano
La historia me absolvera
America is just not receptive nor ready for a black president, we are not racist, we are just not there yet...... it is what it is and its not neccessarily a bad thing. Give it ten more years or twenty, then we MAY be ready. I fear we will have a president too much under the microscope to ever be able to do a good job, experience or not if he is not supported in his home (the Whitehouse) then how can he succeed..... dont count on Oprah she is now a cult leader, although her money has helped Obama Hussein.
We have been ready for a black president for a long time.
Good to know you feel this way, because Obama wins.
Pia1981 -
On what do you base your opinion?
Don't let facts cloud your mind!
Davole, I can post my opinion the same way josemarti posts hers. You don't like my comments, then ignore them.
guest -
I disagree with your opinion that America is not receptive nor ready for a black president.
If there were a capable, honest, experienced black candidate running for the office, he could succeed.
But the problem is that Barack Obama is a "far cry" from that type of individual - therefore - unqualified for consideration.
Exactly. I would vote for a black candidate who 1. grew up in the black community. 2. struggled and overcame this country's racism. 3. shares the conservative values that are the core of every successful black family. 4. loves this country.. Several such candidates exist: Condi Rice, Justice Thomas and many others.
Obama cannot help that he was not "raised in the black community" because he is half white and was raised by his mother's family. Obama did stuggle to overcome racism. convervative values are core to every successful black family? You do realize that you are speaking against a successful black person. Obama does love this country, he loves it enough to run for president.
Where did he struggle to overcome racism? At Columbia University? Harvard Law School? Hyde Park? Chicago's Gold Coast? Not.
Growing up bi-racial, growing up in the 60s and 70s
You can only speak for yourself. You are not receptive or ready for a black president, and you will never be if you cannot look past the color of someones skin. Newsflash for you, ALL presidents are under a microscope, the truely great ones can survive and thrive under that microscope.
Hussain helps rest my case. Just courious did you chose your middle name too???
Now is much clearer you' and others just the RACIST PIG ,that why you're againts good credential in Picking Outstanding President.
SPEAK FOR YOURSELF, NOT THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
Obama Supporter consist demographic consist of 35% white ,95%black,70% Hispanic,3%Asian LANDSLIDE victory for Obama this fall.........GAME SET .....Do your MATHS
70% Hispanic? In your dreams. Al combate corred Bayameses que la patria os observa orgullosa.
el Idioma español docente, Im el miembro de la Comunidad española en Florida. Usted sabe tuerca acerca de personas hispanas que siente, soy respetado por personas hispanas
No understand espanish
You don't even understand English. French perhaps, Madame Defarge? You like to watch people bleed. You want Obama to bleed.
Pia1981 -
Where is your justification for that allegation?
You're not being very lady-like tonight!
Davole, josemarti posted on another article implying that Michelle Obama is like Madame Defarge. I'm only calling her out on it. You do know who Madame Defarge was? Besides, I have a right to post this, the same way josemarti posts what she likes and the same way you are now defending her. Freedom of speech
Jack999 -
Will that 95% black support qualify Barack Obama as the racist candidate?
They NOT RASCIST ....after 232 years of independence....They are excited .....Once out 43 White President.is going to be Black President.....Naturally....IF USA already had 43 Black President ...happened to be This election first -time First WHITE president.....What do you think the White is being RASCIST?If 99% of white supported this president?......Think before You open your mouth and lets other Labels You as PIG's RASCIST
Jack999 -
I'm not racist, nor do I even care if you or anyone else wants to label me as a racist.
Now, are you being racist by calling me that?
Remember - it was the Republicans that abolished slavery, and put an end to segregation.
And it was primarily democrats that founded the KKK.
Are you man enough to thank Republicans for that?
Hispanics unite and save this country. Your conservative values are not those of the Democratic Party. Your love of God is foreign to the atheists, relativists, nihilists, and socialists that control that party. Your children go uneducated in cities controlled by Democratic politicians. Obama knows nothing about our community. He is an elitist, Afrocentrist, Ivy Leaguist.
FOR DITTO-HEAD IDIOTS THAT REPEAT GOP PARTY LINE THAT THE "SURGE HAS WORKED", ALLOW ME TO GIVE YOU AN ANALOGY OF HOW STUPID YOU SOUND
Here is The Analogy:
The Dallas Cowboys are loosing to an opponent by 45-points and it's the 4th-quarter. Although the team made nice plays, the head coach and team managers made bad calls leaving the players embarrassed to be losing 45 ??? 0
Now star wide receiver makes a catch and scores with 0:28 seconds to go, but follows that up with a victory dance and trash talk in the end-zone as the score goes to 45 - 7. Next the managers claim victory. You and everyone know this is foolish and know the Cowboys need a lot more than a touch down to claim TRUE VICTORY.
Ditto-heads, it is the same way when Molasses McSame claims the surge worked and won the Iraq war. Americans fought and died for WMDs that were never there, and fought terrorist that were never there until the Americans got there. We lost 4,200 precious soldiers; 30,000 maimed Americans, and 700,000 Iraqi's dead, with 8-million Iraqi's displaced. $700-billion taxpayer dollars also up in smoke.
Now McSame claims the surge has won a war he hawkishly but naïvely voted for. This is "CYA" at its highest! I would not trust this guy with a troop of boy scouts. When McSame cannot tell the truth about what we Americans see in front of us, how can we possibly trust this cat when America's back is turned?
GOD Bless America!
GOD Bless Obama!
Face it, the Surge DID work and that McCain continually fought for this plan for an increase of troops in IRAQ (as a leader even though it was not popular) to get President Bush to eventually implement this plan (surge). The surge worked. Even Obama has (although unsubtly has not denied) . . that the surge worked . . . . by scrubbing off those blatant words from his official website.
Your reaction to my posts (folks, anyone who wants to see them they are posted down below) tells me that you are reacting in an EMOTIONALl fashion instead of an intellectual manner given all of the NAME-CALLING you inflicted at me in your response here. While we are talking about name-calling, I found this explanation about why people really do turn to name-calling in response to other peoples opinions, etc.:
BAD NAMES have played a tremendously powerful role in the history of the world and in our own individual development. They have ruined reputations, stirred men and women to outstanding accomplishments, sent others to prison cells, and made men mad enough to enter battle and slaughter their fellowmen. They have been and are applied to other people, groups, gangs, tribes, colleges, political parties, neighborhoods, states, sections of the country, nations, and races.
(Institute for Propaganda Analysis, 1938)
The NAME-CALLING TECHNIQUE links a person, or idea, to a negative symbol. The propagandist who uses this technique HOPES THAT THE AUDIENCE WILL REJECT THE PERSON or THE IDEA on the basis of the negative symbol, instead of looking at the available evidence.
The most obvious type of name calling involves bad names. For example, consider the following:
Commie
Fascist
Idiot
Pig
Yuppie
Bum
Queer
Terrorist
A more subtle form of name-calling involves words or phrases that are selected because they possess a negative emotional charge. Those who oppose budget cuts may characterize fiscally conservative politicians as stingy. Supporters might prefer to describe them as thrifty." Both words refer to the same behavior, but they have very different connotations. Other examples of negatively charged words include:
social engineering
radical
cowardly
counter-culture
The name-calling technique was first identified by the Institute for Propaganda Analysis (IPA) in 1938. According to the IPA, we should ask ourselves the following questions when we spot an example of name-calling.
What does the name mean?
Does the idea in question have a legitimate connection with the real meaning of the name?
Is an idea that serves my best interests being dismissed through giving it a name I don't like?
Leaving the name out of consideration, what are the merits of the idea itself?
Sharenews, when you told SJPersonal that she was a liar after she called you out about that PUMA site you posted links to, were you calling her a bad name? SJPersonal is not a liar. She was right about that PUMA site you have been endorsing on the blogs.
I'm tired of Newsweek's blatant attempts to ram Obama down our throats week after week. With all the favorable cover photos and fawning articles, you're fast on the road to marketing him as larger than life, much like all those mega-sized billboards and statues of Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, Quaddafi, etc. that were seen in those countries. Why don't you finally give up the very thin veneer of
objectivity and come out to openly endorse the man?
Can you imagine what lies in store for conservatives if Obama wins? He will rule with a Democratic majority in Congress, a biased press, a sea of lawyers, an army of followers ready to flood the streets when he encounters any opposition. I suppose that we will have to suffer through our own Crystal Night.
Oh, so now you are injecting the Nazi's cristal night into this election. Sickening. That's you.
One study showed that rhesus monkeys, provided with a mechanism of cocaine self-administration, prefer the drug over food that is in the cage. This happens even when the monkeys are starving. Female monkeys with offspring will abandoned their young upon being introduced to cocaine, and in a few cases, mothers killed their offspring. In all cases, a monkey aggressively protected the apparatus which delivered the cocaine, and in most cases, fights to the death between monkeys occurred to secure access to cocaine. The monkeys who self-administered cocaine, did virtually nothing else. Complete disregard for food, sex, sleep, water, hygiene, offspring, and life in general was always the case for those monkeys addicted to cocaine. Monkeys that were provided with a mechanism of heroin self-administration also self-administered it indefinitely, but when starved, the monkeys on heroin chose food and water over heroin without hesitation, unlike those monkeys on cocaine who consistently chose the cocaine over food, despite the fact that some were near death by starvation. Some monkeys which were deprived of water and then given the choice of cocaine or water, chose cocaine without hesitation. Those on heroin also continued to care for, and be protective of their offspring, they slept, and showed that they cared about their hygiene by grooming themselves continuously. Protective or aggressive and/or violent behavior over the apparatus which provided the heroin was not observed, as was seen with cocaine. Unlike the monkeys put on cocaine, the monkeys that were put on heroin were easier to manage and deal with. Only a very small number of monkeys became irritable and aggressive upon removing the apparatus which delivered the heroin. Within the cocaine group, all monkeys became enraged and violent upon the removal of the apparatus which provided them with the cocaine. Several monkeys tried to break free of their cages, others became psychotic, bouncing around in their cages, shrieking loudly, and some even began to bite pieces of their arms and legs. One monkey cried for several hours, while at the same time mutilating his arms. No other major drug of abuse has shown a capacity to produce an addiction as extreme as has cocaine.
"Greatness of a Nation depends on how well its Citizens treats their animals" Mathma Gandhi
I've seen this story told from several sources, as varied as Asian to Native American. Yet in the end...the song remains the same. .........................
It's a story about a turtle and a scorpion. The scorpion needs to cross the river and so he asks the turtle for a ride. The turtle says, "Do you think I am crazy? If I let you get on my back, you'll sting me."
"Don't worry," said the scorpion. "If I do that, we would both drown in the river."
So the turtle gives him a ride. Halfway across the river, the scorpion stings the turtle. And as the poison starts to work and the turtle and scorpion start to sink into the river together, the turtle says, "Why did you do it? Now we're both going to die."
The scorpion, in his last few breaths, says, "I couldn't help it. It's my nature."
Thats what Vote that cost us all these 8 years of the Republican G.W.Bush
In my story the turtle says: Why are we getting this Black supremacist policies from President? Didn't you say that you ere post-racial? And the scorpion responds: You knew it was in my nature. My books told you how much I admired Malcom X. You knew that I admire Farrakhan. You knew I went to Rev. Wright's church for 20 years adn supported him financially. You knew I went to dinners in support of Hamas and said nothing. I know I sat in Boards of Directors with unrepentant terrorists. If you believed my turn towards the center, you can only blame yourselves for your delusions. Both the scorpion and the turtle drown.
Gee wiilikers...there sure is alot of ANGER on this subject. WE can't even "get along"...how do you expect extremists to ? Perhaps Obama will turn out to be the precursor to the beast.Now, THERE's some interesting thoughts...the people cry for peace, and he will bring it about, but only for a period of 3 yrs (enjoy it) and then EVERYONE will turn against Israel (we probably will because of outside terrorist pressure) and the Apocalpse will be real. Has it ever occured to any of you avid readers and expounders that the Bible may be true? The prophecies of the wars in the end times sound like nuclear war " the skin falls away from their bodies" etc. Read it...consider it...this is not all there is.
Bush already has that title.
McCain supporters grasping at straw. Obama is making McCain "change" his itenerary of announcing his VP as the MSM is saying. That's too funny! Remember when Obama and his supporters were doing the Obama stomp in Minneapolis. Just keep walking in our tracks and learn a few things, maybe you'll get the office back one day. GOP ruined everything from illegally redistricting, to ballot fraud, to going to an unwarranted war, to illegal lobbyists, to Valerie Plame, to botched army missions (Pat Tillman, innocent Iraquis), to proxy wars, to illegally firing of prosecutors, to saying STAY THE COURSE FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, to now saying Barack is right and has been right all along. GOP supporters need to sit back relax, let Obama and the Democratic Congress fix what the GOP broke. OK? OK.
okay keep it real the surge was going on any way if that's what you want to call it.President Bush was sending troop's over their even without permission you'll need to review these past years we should have ben gone when the Suddam statue came down we were engaged in a messed up problem after that. We found no WMD"S and the weapon's we did find some of them were our old broken-down half sold part's of the first visit from senior and Olley Obama's judgement was true for he know's that we just took the advantage of a country that really could barely protect themselves for if they had allthe weapon's or could get their hand's on it bet it by the way they say they are they would have at least used it on us for some said it was war yet in was suppose top be an invasion to rid them of a dictator we are still waisting amo look at the scences of the new;s we are not hittng that much plus yes this is about revenue those other tribes have been and some are just trying to get their proper share of the oil profit's that Suddam's regulated we should have followed his first leads about Afghan and Pakistan known terrosist haven's on toward Syria he has his eye's on us abroad with the help of our Allies which the Repulican's and the chief boldly told OP"S like NATO we are going to war with out permission hey we all have opinion's but go back to the year or yera of our landing those people were trapping us no resistance until every other 150 miles and the a milatary leader like PEtreuas has to say any thing the president tell's him so how can you trust him some one who's suppose to have been transfered any way so yes if you are losing add more troop's not after a bad war move yet from the start if they are so smart they should have sent that much at first got people over their stuck yes Obama bring the troop's or over most of them home rest them and then send a real surge to a real war on terrisom in afghan we (AMERICA) would be behind that for when MRS" PERINO speak's of AMERICAN"S she is not speaking for me straight up hey and Iv'e been watching this Iraq mission since day one when they showed the IRAQIS supposively moving tractor trailer's that was supposing to be transporting WMD"S then we telegraghed our arrival -then check how many commander;s Bushed moved from their leadership roles yeh McCain was with all that 08-08-08 OBAMA
Fellow Viet Nam Vets Chime in on John McCain and his so called "Torture" at the hands of the N. Viet Namese !!!
A declassified DOD document reports an interview between POW McCain and Dr. Fernando Barral, a Spanish psychiatrist who was living in Cuba at the time. The interview was published in the Havana Granma in January 1970.
According to the DOD report, the meeting between Barral and McCain (which was photographed by the Vietnamese) took place away from the prison at the office of the Committee for Foreign Cultural Relations in Hanoi. During the meeting, POW McCain sipped coffee and ate oranges and cakes with his interrogator.
While talking with Barral, McCain seriously violated the military Code of Conduct by failing to evade answering questions "to the utmost" of his ability when he, according to the DOD report, helped Barral by answering questions in Spanish, a language McCain had learned in school.
1973 - McCain was released from the Hilton on March 15, 1973.
Two Former POWs Say They Doubt McCain Was Physically Abused
1999 - March 25, 1999, The Phoenix New Times: Ted Guy and Gordon "Swede" Larson, two former POWs, who were McCain's senior ranking officers (SRO's), at the time McCain says he was tortured in solitary confinement, told the New Times that while they could not guarantee that McCain was not physically harmed, they doubted it.
"Between the two of us, it's our belief, and to the best of our knowledge, that no prisoner was beaten or harmed physically in that camp [known as "The Plantation"]," Larson says. ". . . My only contention with the McCain deal is that while he was at The Plantation, to the best of my knowledge and Ted's knowledge, he was not physically abused in any way. No one was in that camp. It was the camp that people were released from."
Big Note: In 1993, during one of his many trips back to Hanoi, McCain asked the Vietnamese not to Make Public the Records they hold Pertaining to Returned U.S. POWs.
Omaar -
Wow - POW McCain actually sipped coffee (how much) and ate oranges (how many?) and cakes (ditto) with his interrogator. It definitely must be against the military code of conduct for a possibly starving POW to engage in such despicable conduct.
And do you think (no, change that to do you feel) John McCain should have definitely faced the firing squad due to another POW stating "Between the two of us, it's our belief, and to the best of our knowledge, that no prisoner was beaten or harmed physically in that camp [known as "The Plantation"]."
In case you are not very familiar with the English language, the term "to the best of our knowledge" does not mean definitely. Also, why is John McCain, to this very day, unable to raise his arms above his head?
You would never be successful as a lawyer in an American civil or military court, if that was the best evidence which you could present..
Obama can change the geopolitic, if he puts his fingers on two hotspots of this world. Israel and Afganistan.
He should work out why Afganistan is always invaded by countries continually throughout ages and lay the ground workout for a rectification. About Israel, he should harden his position and play a fair role in this longest wound of present history, compel and impose on Israel and Palestine a fair peace deal . Basically,
all human looks for peace, food and shelter, if these are provided to human then all ideaologies and extremism will fade away. I am sure, he will start with mending fences with his neighbour Cuba with whom, for no compelling reason, USA is at a confrontation. Being the mightiest nation If USA shows good faith and fair judgement with all, then no other countries will have any logic to spend money on defence but invest the fund for betterment of their individual populace. God bless the human race and the world. Anwar
fishbite100 -
You state that Obama should "compel and impose on Israel and Palestine a fair peace deal."
That won't happen. First of all, Israel is a soveriegn country, and Obamabots insist that any sovereign country, even Iraq which defied 17 UN resolutions, and also Iran, should be left to continue any defiance indefinitely.
And who would decide whether any peace deal would be "fair"?
Would the Obamabots be the deciding entity?
Or would it be the Israelis and the Palestinians?
Or would it be the UN?
Or should it be a world-wide referrendum?
And what would be the critical deciding percentage of voters?
And who would decide what that deciding percentage should be?
Do you "follow"?
And really, would you expect a neophyte like Obama to actually make a decision in this regard?
Probably George Bush would if he were entitled to a third term, and if Congress would ever agree to support the President.
In recent times I must confessed this is about the best article I have read about Sen. Obama and his foreign policy articulations. I must give exceptional kudos to Zakaria for his objectivity, sincerity and realistic perspective of what this dynamic, humane and energetic senator from Illinois is trying to do for the entire world.
What a pleasure reading through ever line of this article and considering the fact that most of the statements contained therein are absolutely correct and manifest the necessity of visualizing and orchestrating a kind of new world order that Obama is proposing even makes the reading more exciting and meaningful.
This is a remarkable write up and must be commended, since the write in this case Zakaria clearly and conspicuously understand the task before the entire humanity and not just the American people. By and large the world is in dire need of an American leader that will bring sanity, peace, togetherness, neighborliness, broadmindedness and tolerance to a polarize world.
My summation is that President Bush has failed the world and Sen. McCain is tolling in an exact fashion, assimilating and propagating all that the incumbent stands for, while at the same time enjoying the benefit of being close to him, s manifested by the undue ???fairy tale??? favoritism and nepotism by the syndicated media.
A word is enough for the wise.
It is such a pleasure reading from you, Zakaria and thank you so much for your foresight and insightful representation of the reality of our time.
Mother: The odehogaba1 account I opened for you is not to comment on my articles.
--Fared Zakaria
How does that kool-aid taste?
Tastes sweet like truth and wisdom....I'll bet yours taste like urine.
It should be pointed out, that the reason why some world leader display a sort of hostility toward the west particularly America is that for long America has talked down on them. When it comes to human dignity, even the worst man on the universe wants to be respected. America definitely has been the leader of the free world for a while and, will continue to be in the for, seeable future, her approach to interracting with weak and strong nation will demand a firm, respectful, and compassionate leadership. Obama seem to fit that mole of leadership
Jonathan Lawoyin DDs
It tastes sweet like cherries truth and wisdom...I'll bet yours tastes like urine.
THIS IS HILARIOUS - "CHANGE" HAS ALREADY STARTED
Before Obama's run . . . Bush/McSame said any timetable was off the table. Now that Obama has pushed for timetables, every Democrat & Republican including Bush is talking timetables.
Before Obama . . .Bush/McSame said troop withdrawals was the same as "cut and run". Now with Obama the Iraqis, Americans, and politician alike are saying its time to come home. All except McSame.
Before Obama . . . Bush/McSame said it was appeasement to have any form of dialogue with Iran. Now after Obama insisted he would talk with Iran under the right conditions, suddenly Bush & Rice are in back-channel communications with Iran.
Before Obama . . . The Religious Right claimed it not possible to be a Democrat or Independent and still be a Christian. With Obama, a Democrat may outwardly where his/her Christian views and not be attacked by the hypocritical Religious Right.
Before Obama . . . Democratic nominees took taxpayer funded campaign welfare. Now Democrats turn down campaign welfare.
Before Obama . . . The world hated us and wished us ill-will. Now with Senator Obama in striking distance of the Presidency, the U.S is being cheered as admiration for America vaults skyward.
Before Obama . . . Lobbyist ran rampant & reckless over middle-class interest. With Obama in striking distance, lobbyists are running desperate and scared.
Before Obama . . etc. . . etc. . . etc.
GOD Bless America!
GOD Bless Obama!
AIPAC
The American Israel Public
Affairs Committee
America???s Pro-Israel Lobby
April 1, 2008
THE IRANIAN THREAT
The Iranian regime continues to defy repeated international demands to halt its pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability. Iran is reportedly testing an advanced P-2 centrifuge, which is capable of enriching uranium, the key fuel for nuclear weapons, at two to three times the speed of older models. The head of U.S. intelligence Mike McConnell said in February that Iran could probably produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon by AS EARLY AS 2010! As Iran continues to reject international demands to suspend its nuclear program, the need for increased international pressure on Tehran grows. Below are frequently asked questions about Iran???s nuclear program and current efforts:
Full article with FAQs: http://www.aipac.org/Publications/AIPACAnalysesFAQs/FAQs_-_The_Iranian_Threat.pdf
Obamas words about Iran: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lx-QcstDcU
John McCain's Collaborations:
During his 23rd mission over Vietnam on Oct. 26, 1967, Lt. Commander John McCain was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.
To relate the event, McCain later recalled that he was "flying right over the heart of Hanoi in a dive at about 4,500 feet, when a Russian missile the size of a telephone pole came up--the sky was full of them--and blew the right wing off my Skyhawk dive bomber. It went into an inverted, almost straight-down spin. -U.S. News and World Report, May 14, 1973 article written by former POW John McCain
"I pulled the ejection handle, and was knocked unconscious by the force of the ejection--the air speed was about 500 knots. I didn't realize it at the moment, but I had broken my right leg around the knee, my right arm in three places and my left arm. I regained consciousness just before I landed by parachute in a lake right in the center of Hanoi, one they called the Western Lake. My helmet and my oxygen mask had been blown off. "I hit the water and sank to the bottom . . . I did not feel any pain at the time, and I was able to rise to the surface. I took a breath of air and started sinking again." -U.S. News and World Report, May 14, 1973 article written by former POW John McCain
After bobbing up and down, he was eventually pulled from the water by Vietnamese who had swam out to get him.
A mob gathered on shore and McCain was bayoneted in the foot and his shoulder was smashed with a rifle butt. He was put on a truck and taken to Hanoi's main prison.
After being periodically slapped around for "three or four days" by his captors who wanted military information from him, McCain called for an officer on his fourth day of captivity. He told the officer, "O.K., I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital." -U.S. News and World Report, May 14, 1973 article written by former POW John McCain
McCain was taken to Gai Lam military hospital normally unavailable to American POWS. (U.S. government documents)
"Demands for military information were accompanied by threats to terminate my medical treatment if I [McCain] did not cooperate. Eventually, I gave them my ship's name and squadron number, and confirmed that my target had been the power plant." Page 193-194, Faith of My Fathers by John McCain.
Very refreshing to imagine a President that can look at someone we do not agree with, and not see Satan.
Understanding that for all the differences between the various peoples and governments in the world today, we are fundamentally the same. Parents love their children, and want them to grow up safe and happy. Patriots love their countries, and do not want to be disrespected in the world. Worshippers want to seek their salvation. Boys and girls (well, most of the time) want to get married and raise families.
These are the core issues of life, no matter where you live, rich or poor, educated or illiterate.... if we can recognize this very common ground, perhaps we can reason together about the more superficial issues that separate us... and without demonizing, or dehumanizing each other.
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