The stabilizing voice of American politics – in the age of extreme partisanship – has suddenly fallen silent. We all knew that it was coming . . . but not sooner than later. He informed the world that he was stopping medical treatment for his brain cancer on Friday. And, shockingly, he died on Saturday.
As the flaming lifelong Liberal that I am, I disagreed with Senator McCain on a great many issues. Most notably on Defense spending, and the War in Iraq, and the broader “War on Terror”. But, I truly admired how he reached across the aisle, to get things done. Clearly, he was an old school conservative, but he wasn’t all about the money, as are far too many in politics these days. The McCain-Feingold Act was a game changer in campaign finance reform, at least until the Citizens United decision came down in 2010. He had the nerve and resolve to speak out against torture and “enhanced interrogation”. He called waterboarding what it is . . . torture. He thought we should close Guantanamo Bay, and transfer the prisoners to Fort Leavenworth to expedite their legal proceedings. He stood up to the religious right and called them “agents of intolerance”, and denounced their tactics as “division and slander”. He stood up to President Trump on more than one occasion, most notably against a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act . . . without a replacement.
He did things, and voted, based on his conscience, and the belief that America should always set an example for the world. He didn’t care if that meant rankling those in his own party. He cared about his fellow Americans, and how the world perceives the United States of America. He believed in that “shining city on the hill”, and that the US should always be a beacon unto the world. As corny as it might sound, he had the old school values of the words to the intro of the old television show “Superman”: “Truth, Justice, and the American way!”
He often demonstrated that he had a fiery temper, but that just showed that he was a man of great passion. He also had a great sense of humor, and he often used it to make fun of himself. He refused to take the low road while campaigning, and was deferential and gracious in defeat. Those traits made him more human than most politicians. He was honest, and honorable, and noble. He loved his country, and devoted his life in service of it.
Proud: son, Navy pilot, husband, father, and dedicated public servant. He was all those things and more. He was a true lion of the Senate, and he will be remembered as a legend of the legislature. Our country is richer for having had his dedication to public service, but we’re now a little poorer for his passing. He may have graduated near the bottom of his class at Annapolis, but he reached the pinnacle of respect among his peers and countrymen.
God speed, John McCain.
— YUR
Jumble Spoiler – 09/12/20 (Of Course)
Published September 12, 2020 Commentary , Current Events , Government , History , Observations 10 CommentsTags: 9/11, Black Lives Matter, COVID-19, Military-Industrial Complex, World Trade Center
It was THE most implausible chain of events that has ever happened in the history of the world. But, instead of wondering, and then INVESTIGATING, the who and hows of such monumentally catastrophic events happening, to THE most powerful, technologically advanced nation in the world, we were immediately fed a ridiculous string of fairy-tale like lies. And, because the country – and most of the world – was in a complete state of shock, sadness and anger . . . we (the vast majority of us at least) were all too eager/gullible to believe what those in – what should be – trusted positions of authority were all too eager – and READY – to tell us.
Why bother investigating any of it, when they got so many of us to believe this amazing story? Of course it was 19 Arabic men with box cutters who hijacked the planes. Of course they had knowledge of all the military exercises – that only the military would know of – that were happening that day. And, of course 4 of these loathsome 19, who could barely fly a four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing, propeller aircraft were able to masterfully fly large, sophisticated, commercial jet airliners into both of the World Trade Towers, and also into the 5 story Pentagon, which was very likely THE most secure/protected building, in THE most secure/protected city, in the entire world. And, of course both Trade Towers collapsed, in under two hours, one in 1 hour 42 minutes and the other in just 56 minutes, “due to the heat of the jet fuel” – which burns at a max of 1500°F – melting the the steel support beams, which would have required temperatures of 2750°F to do so. And, of course neither of the towers toppled over, but they both came straight down, in their own footprints. And then, at 5:20PM of that fateful day, of course the World Trade Center 7 building, which had NOT been hit by a jet, but had sustained some damage, due to the North Tower’s collapse, at 10:28AM, came down in its own footprint, allegedly because of internal fires. So, despite the fact that NO skyscraper – in the history of skyscrapers – had EVER collapsed before – or since – due to fires, including fires that have burned for days . . . of course three of them did that terrible day.
Oh, but our government wouldn’t have been complicit in the deaths of nearly 3000 people, most of them American citizens! Really? With the kind of money and power involved with our military industrial complex, and the destabilization of these oil producing countries??? It’s been said that the U.S. could have saved 36,000 lives if social distancing had been implemented one week earlier, in this battle to contain COVID-19. How many more lives, had President Trump not publicly downplayed the disease’s severity back in January and February? I really don’t like apples and oranges types of comparisons, but I think that this demonstrates that the lives of everyday people is NOT the #1 priority of our government.
If you made it this far, friends, you can all go back to your idyllic dreamlike existences, where the U.S. is that bright and shiny city on a hill, and the bastion of both racial equality, and equal justice for all. “They hate us for our freedoms.” Really? — YUR
Image courtesy of Reddit