Has anyone considered this angle to John McCain's POW stories?

Question

John McCain became a POW fighting in a war that the entire world, including the US, long ago acknowledged was unjust. Since the U.S. had no business being in Vietnam at that time, doesn't anyone wonder why McCain chose to be? Even during a time of a Selective Service draft, many Americans had the courage to stand up and REFUSE to participate in this particularly unjust and immoral war. McCain paid a heavy price for deciding to participate, but it was a choice. An additional thought: Even if you think it was okay for McCain to be taking part in that war, there is no reason to believe that being a long-time POW in the 1960's has anything at all to do with being a good leader at this place and at this time in history. It simply is not a valid reason for supporting him.

Answer 1

Glad you posted this.  McCain may have enlisted to please his dad, or because, early in the war, he believed our government's lies.  But I wish he had the courage and the wisdom to see, after the fact, that we should never have gotten ourselves into that fiasco.

As hard as it is to imagine, I think he actually believes we were *right* to invade Vietnam, and that the Iraq war was a good idea too.  Under that sort of lunatic leadership, who knows where we'll send our boys to kill and die next?

Answer 2

it shows strength and resolve.  it shows that he does not seek the easy way out of situations.  It shows that he chooses the right path even when it means horrible things will happen to him.

in conclusion - it shows that he has the characteristics of an excellent leader

Answer 3

Yes, America is not the decisions of the politicians. I thank you for your new outlook

Answer 4

I'm in no way defending the Viet Nam War, but McCain was from a military family, and he was military himself. A lot of the objections to the war came later in the 60's, '67, '68, etc.  I'm not sure when he first went over there, but  he was already in the military, in fact according to that video, he was in during the blockade of Cuba in 1962. But, like all military personel, he went where he was sent, regardless.

After the war, many people including the military saw what a mistake it was and that it was wrong. But in the early years most people did not see it that way, especially people who were in the military. They could not "see the forest for the trees"

Most guys who were career military would not have been looking at it as an immoral war, etc. They were just doing their duty. This might seem hard to justify, but until the late 60's revolt against the war, nearly all Americans felt the same way. Men were supposed to serve time in the military, even in peace time, let alone if there was a war. They were not supposed to question if the war was right or wrong.

Even civilians for the most part did not question things like that until after the war in Viet Nam just kept dragging on forever. Some of course did object to all wars for religious reasons, but they were the exception.

I'm a Democrat so I'm not defending McCain on political grounds.

Being a POW is not grounds for being President. Nor was Kennedy's PT 109 experience (if anybody remembers that story) in WWII. But they make good headlines and grab the attention of other war veterans and POW's.

I think the point of all the talk of his POW time was about him not taking early release that was offered because he was an Admiral's son. Not many people could have refused that, but he would not run out on the other men in the POW camp. That does not qualify you for President, but shows a lot of courage and character.

Answer 5

You are right I have gotten tired of hearing about his  pow stories > At least he came back home alive .I had a cousin and a friend that didn't  make it back home alive and they was a lot younger than he was.And then I had a bunch more cousins and friends to serve over there !!!!!!!!

OBAMA/BIDEN '08 !!!!!!!!

Answer 6

mmmm..hmmmmm

Answer 7

The Rep. are using this as an example of his patriotism.  Patriotism has always been a strong platform for their party.  I agree with you.  He was in another place and time when he was a POW, and no I don't think that makes a strong qualification to be president.  It frightens me to think that we have another war cabinet going for the White House once again.  

Answer 8

Just because John McCain is a POW Vet that does not make him a born leader to me. If he was a great leader why did he get caught in the first place.

Answer 9

Having been a POW cuts really close to a large number of veterans,

a whole lot of baby boomers remember that time, and what it did to

the enlisted. Many people feel he has earned the right to run because

of it.

Not everybody has the foresight of what will happen. Only a small percent refused to go to war. The times were much different then than they are now. Thought processes were much different.

Answer 10

I agree, not to mention it seems "the older he gets the better he was."

Answer 11

There are lots of people who don't think McCain was quite the hero he allows people to claim that he is.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFM1xqqTX...

Answer 12

You don't have to be a Republican to love our country and support the troops.  Being a POW certainly doesn't make you a foreign policy guru or correct on national security either.

There is also a lot of spin going on.  Some republicans I know believe that the troops support McCain. Watch the video below and you will understand why I think military families are supporting Obama.

By the way....

In my home state, there are only 30 days left to register to vote.  The clock is ticking.

www.rockthevote.com

Answer 13

Being a POW is simply not relative as a qualification for being President. He got CAPTURED- he did not successfully evade the enemy! No matter, anyone who didn't know how many houses they own is done in my book.

Answer 14

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Answer 15

As a child of a veteran, and grandchild of one also, I believe it was the duty of our soldiers to do as their country requested. It was not an "option" for most men of character to run away from their summons. As for the qualifying him, no being a POW is not in itself a qualification, but the honor with which he served this time in a Vietnamese prison camp, in my opinion, is indeed a good sign that he will approach his presidency with the same honor and courage he displayed at that time.

Answer 16

amen.

Answer 17

I agree with you that military service and being a POW have nothing to do with the ability to be the leader of the United States of America.

To all of you that say this is an insult to his service to America, get over yourselves.  Going into the military is a job that you choose to do.  Thank you for your service but it doesn't give you any special abilities over someone that made different choices.

Answer 18

How can you say it isn't a valid reason, when it just builds on his experience? The reason why he was there shouldn't matter, all that matters is the fact that he was there fighting for us, while Obama lacks that experience. Where in Obama's life does he demonstrate the fact that he can protect us like McCain can?

Answer 19

i think it was a large part of family tradition....  i read some place that the day after his father died, he signed the papers to get discharged.  

while i do respect him for what he went through as a pow.. what i don't respect is how he treated the mia/pow families after that...

take a look at this link for explanation of his part in the Enormous Crime...  http://leboutillier.blogspot.com/

here is a bit of it..  

   "To keep it simple: McCain and others on the US Senate Select Committee on POWs in 1991-1992 deliberately, willfully and knowingly hid, destroyed, altered, photo-shopped, distorted, denied and lied about concrete evidence brought to them from the DIA, the CIA and other USG intelligence agencies. This evidence showed that US POWs - at that very time in 1992 - 19 years after McCain and his group of POWs came home - were still laying down their names and Escape and Evasion codes in rice paddies and trails and fields adjacent to their prisons. These authenticator codes - unique to each US airman shot down (similar to a bank PIN code) - featured a combination of letters and numbers."

one of his temper tantrums was against a woman who fought for these families.. he was some pissed off at her questions as to why the US stopped looking for mia's.  you can find the video of it on youtube.  

Answer 20

Lol. I'm still trying to figure out why there are Vietnam veterans that are actually against John "Song Bird" McCain. Something fishy there if you ask me...

Answer 21

Much like the Iraq war, the liberals tried to misrepresent the Vietnam war and lie about what was going on there.

After we abandoned that country there was chaos and genocide.  Thank God for people like John McCain that we are still in Iraq finishing the job!

"[After the US abandoned Vietnam] Hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese officials, particularly ARVN officers, were imprisoned in reeducation camps after the Communist takeover. Tens of thousands died and many fled the country after being released. Up to two million civilians left the country, and as many as half of these boat people perished at sea.

On July 2, 1976, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was declared. After repeated border clashes in 1978, Vietnam invaded Democratic Kampuchea (Cambodia) and ousted the Khmer Rouge. As many as two million died during the Khmer Rouge genocide."

Answer 22

Well people will vote for a hero, before they vote for a zero. Democrat for McCain/Palin 2008.