Current Affairs John McCain - hero or Republican
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TheBigIguana
Player Valuation: £100m
Certainly a hero. One of an increasingly rare breed of politicians who was a decent person no matter where you fell regarding his ideology. Also went against party lines from time to time which some people could learn from. Who knows if he would have one in 2008 had the financial meltdown not happened right in the lead up to election day.
But beyond that his service in Vietnam is enough to make him a hero on its own. RIP.
But beyond that his service in Vietnam is enough to make him a hero on its own. RIP.
Hero or Republican? What are you getting at?
What a silly question.
Also the last sentence is kind of petty and not reality unless you are one of those petty types who judge people by their political leanings.
His political beliefs don't take away from his military career. Him being a Republican politically is it not a negative.
He is a hero full stop. He is even popular among Democrats. As believe it or not he was a genuine guy who people actually liked.
Admittedly he was frustrating at times if you are a liberal but again silly question as an American who served he was a hero. He suffered a lot for his country and still managed to strive after a mad ordeal.
Hero, patriot and overall, a man of honor.
Certainly there are political and ideological differences that can be argued, but he served his country well - in times of war and peace, he showed himself capable of setting aside his personal interest and welfare for that of others.
Frankly, at the end of my life, whenever that may be, I hope my personal relations and professional colleagues can think of me with even a fraction of the respect that Senator McCain deserves.
I have respect for all that he gave, but he was human. I find it hard to square his racist tendencies with the rrespect.
He is reminds me so much of my dad, it is hard to think clearly about him.
He is reminds me so much of my dad, it is hard to think clearly about him.
A hero but, as almost all are, a flawed one.
However he showed rare personal and political courage at key moments plus a willingness to confront/admit his errors that few have the stomach for.
I hope his flaws/errors don’t get whitewashed out, not only because they cover some important topics but I respect the man himself enough to think he wouldn’t even have wanted it.
This is the obvious example of his heroism
However I was also struck by this passage in his memoir - it is very hard to look back on your own conduct with such an unflinching eye and would have been easy for him to trivialize or skip over entirely.
However he showed rare personal and political courage at key moments plus a willingness to confront/admit his errors that few have the stomach for.
I hope his flaws/errors don’t get whitewashed out, not only because they cover some important topics but I respect the man himself enough to think he wouldn’t even have wanted it.
This is the obvious example of his heroism
However I was also struck by this passage in his memoir - it is very hard to look back on your own conduct with such an unflinching eye and would have been easy for him to trivialize or skip over entirely.
Cancer is a terrible terrible disease, and I wouldn't want to inflict it on anyone. It's a tragedy that he died the way he did, and I hope his family can come together at this difficult time to remember him fondly and with love.
I found his views disgusting.
I found his views disgusting.
orly
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Brilliant post this. Absolutely where I found him too.
tommytowne
Player Valuation: £50m
A hero for emerging from the Hanoi Hilton with such honour. That episode is really all that I know about him.
And with regards the total embarrassment that is Trump, someone who I'm sure I read yesterday avoided the draft on five occasions, for him to question the man's integrity in the manner in which he did over that period, the guy is just a puffed up permatanned buffoon.
And with regards the total embarrassment that is Trump, someone who I'm sure I read yesterday avoided the draft on five occasions, for him to question the man's integrity in the manner in which he did over that period, the guy is just a puffed up permatanned buffoon.
tsubaki
Player Valuation: £90m
It is a difficult question, and to be fair to him in his book he never tried to pretend he was the hero some of the eulogies are claiming.
I think the best thing you can say about him is that while he advocated war on numerous occasions, he understood what that meant and was willing to both go himself and for his sons to go as well. Compared to Bush, Trump and 99% of the “liberal interventionists” that is a massive distinction.
I think the best thing you can say about him is that while he advocated war on numerous occasions, he understood what that meant and was willing to both go himself and for his sons to go as well. Compared to Bush, Trump and 99% of the “liberal interventionists” that is a massive distinction.
Surely that makes it worse? I've seen what war does to people first hand, and wouldn't dare want to inflict that emotional torment on anyone.
John McCain is reported to have sung "Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran".
BirkenheadBlue
Player Valuation: £70m
Definitely had his flaws.
But he's one of the few Republicans to have done so much as lift a finger to speak out against the current state of the party
But he's one of the few Republicans to have done so much as lift a finger to speak out against the current state of the party
tsubaki
Player Valuation: £90m
Not really - it’s easy to be tough or to be a war leader when you have nothing at stake, look at how Bush or Blair were (and still are) praised for “taking action” even though their utter lack of understanding of what war requires meant it was a disaster (and one that affected other people, not them).
I have a lot more respect for someone who would have waged war competently thanks to their experience and being involved in it -though as I tried to say the other night that understanding would have probably in McCains’ case resulted in him unleashing the same sort of hell on al-Qaeda (and Afghanistan) that the US unleashed on the Japanese (though of course that is what war actually is).
I apologise for misreading the first post, you have a fair point.
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