Comments on: Thank you, Wesley Clark

By: Martini Revolution » The Imbalance of Military Deaths

Martini Revolution » The Imbalance of Military Deaths — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:05:58 +0000

[...] Fred Kaplan of Slate has delved into the comments of General Wesley Clark about the qualifications of John McCain to be president. (Alex discussed the issue here). [...]

By: BimBeau

BimBeau — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:43:35 +0000

Herr Deflator has transgressed. During any period of hostilities a target of opportunity may be inappropriate, but not a war crime. Should he have been given a ‘light bulb’ factory as a target he’s not the war criminal; the targeting authority would have been. Your prejudice is pushing your thinking, that means you’re making major mistakes.
McCain doesn’t belong in the WhiteHouse, Clark is correct. All the media needs to get a life and on McCain’s ass, and you need to stay quiet until you rid yourself of your prejudices.

By: The Conservative Deflator

The Conservative Deflator — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:03:44 +0000

McCain was shot down over Hanoi in 1969 while bombing a civilian light bulb factory. In other words, he became a POW after committing a war crime.

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:58:23 +0000

I’ve heard that the senior officer at the prison ordered any releases were to be refused unless given to the longest-held captive.

Being a POW had to have been horrible and McCain survived it. I don’t think that it qualifies him to be president, but I believe that’s where the “hero” label comes from.

I just think that’s bullshit. One might argue that we’ve lowered the bar on being a hero (from wiping out a battalion to being captured) except if John Kerry or some other Democrat with a similar war record (bottom of his class, shot down and captured, filmed with his captors) they wouldn’t be calling him a hero.

He served honorably, but there is nothing to distinguish his service record.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:58:02 +0000

This story may be apocryphal, but they say McCain’s captors offered him his release and he refused to leave his men behind.

Perhaps all officers made this same decision, I don’t know. But that seems like a pretty brave — call it “heroic” — thing to do.

Being a POW had to have been horrible and McCain survived it. I don’t think that it qualifies him to be president, but I believe that’s where the “hero” label comes from.