Comments on: For reals? http://mybeautifulwickedness.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/for-reals/ What a World, What a World... Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:43:11 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: bridgett http://mybeautifulwickedness.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/for-reals/#comment-3815 bridgett Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:00:13 +0000 http://mybeautifulwickedness.wordpress.com/?p=994#comment-3815 No, he's not a war "hero." Wars don't create heroes. They land rather ordinary people in crazy circumstances where they often have to do extraordinary things. Uniforms don't produce magical special qualities in a person, but circumstances might refine the better angels of your nature (or bring out those lurking asshole tendencies). I think it sucks that he had to suffer for a misbegotten foreign policy that accomplished nothing but the furtherance of the Cold War, the killing of thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and Laotians, and the immiseration of South Vietnam. My compassion for his suffering forty years ago does not make me want to vote for him for President today, though. My dad used to call him "Johnny Asshole" and that pretty much sums up where I am with him. And yeah, he has used his service record as a chip. (What solider-politician doesn't? We're war-obsessed in this country.) He used his family connections as chips, he used his wives as chips. He's a ruthless ambitious guy. If I were his new friends on the Religious Right, I would be looking at his track record of backstabbing and cutting people loose when it's no longer of advantage to him. No, he’s not a war “hero.” Wars don’t create heroes. They land rather ordinary people in crazy circumstances where they often have to do extraordinary things. Uniforms don’t produce magical special qualities in a person, but circumstances might refine the better angels of your nature (or bring out those lurking asshole tendencies). I think it sucks that he had to suffer for a misbegotten foreign policy that accomplished nothing but the furtherance of the Cold War, the killing of thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and Laotians, and the immiseration of South Vietnam. My compassion for his suffering forty years ago does not make me want to vote for him for President today, though. My dad used to call him “Johnny Asshole” and that pretty much sums up where I am with him.

And yeah, he has used his service record as a chip. (What solider-politician doesn’t? We’re war-obsessed in this country.) He used his family connections as chips, he used his wives as chips. He’s a ruthless ambitious guy. If I were his new friends on the Religious Right, I would be looking at his track record of backstabbing and cutting people loose when it’s no longer of advantage to him.

]]> By: democommie http://mybeautifulwickedness.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/for-reals/#comment-3813 democommie Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:16:46 +0000 http://mybeautifulwickedness.wordpress.com/?p=994#comment-3813 Bridgett: I do not demonize republicans. I demonize reptilicans like McCain and his ilk. They are NOT people who love the USA; they are people who love the USA of their fantasies. The USA where they can get what they want while denying others a decent standard of living, a reasonable level of affordable healthcare and freedom of expression about and association with whatever belief system (or nonbelief system) they choose. John McCain is an arrogant, opportunistic bastard who has over his lifetime made self-aggrandizement of his "qualities" a virtual industry. He is NOT a war hero. I don't give a rat's ass that he spent time in a POW camp. What I do care about is that he has used his status as a POW as a stepping stone in his quest for public office and as a shield to deflect legitimate criticism. My opinion of John McCain is not of recent vintage. The first time I ever saw him on television, after his release from Hanoi, I thought, "Here is a guy who will make his career out of this." And that is precisely what he has done. As for his running mate, what can be said that is favorable? I have republican friends. We often disagree about politics, obviously. At the moment, most of them are either very conflicted or keeping mum. I understand what you are saying and I will be happy to discuss legitimate differences with anyone, but when people who are otherwise intelligent start spewing GOPalin talking points I cannot have a discussion with them. Bridgett:

I do not demonize republicans. I demonize reptilicans like McCain and his ilk. They are NOT people who love the USA; they are people who love the USA of their fantasies. The USA where they can get what they want while denying others a decent standard of living, a reasonable level of affordable healthcare and freedom of expression about and association with whatever belief system (or nonbelief system) they choose.

John McCain is an arrogant, opportunistic bastard who has over his lifetime made self-aggrandizement of his “qualities” a virtual industry. He is NOT a war hero. I don’t give a rat’s ass that he spent time in a POW camp. What I do care about is that he has used his status as a POW as a stepping stone in his quest for public office and as a shield to deflect legitimate criticism. My opinion of John McCain is not of recent vintage. The first time I ever saw him on television, after his release from Hanoi, I thought, “Here is a guy who will make his career out of this.” And that is precisely what he has done. As for his running mate, what can be said that is favorable?

I have republican friends. We often disagree about politics, obviously. At the moment, most of them are either very conflicted or keeping mum.

I understand what you are saying and I will be happy to discuss legitimate differences with anyone, but when people who are otherwise intelligent start spewing GOPalin talking points I cannot have a discussion with them.

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