Why I Will Not Vote for John McCain

[Bruce551]

Why I Will Not Vote for John McCain

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

By Phillip Butler / Military.com

As some of you might know, John McCain is a long-time acquaintance of mine that goes way back to our time together at the U.S. Naval Academy and as Prisoners of War in Vietnam. He is a man I respect and admire in some ways. But there are a number of reasons why I will not vote for him for President of the United States.

When I was a Plebe (4th classman, or freshman) at the Naval Academy in 1957-58, I was assigned to the 17th Company for my four years there. In those days we had about 3,600 midshipmen spread among 24 companies, thus about 150 midshipmen to a company. As fortune would have it, John, a First Classman (senior) and his room mate lived directly across the hall from me and my two room mates. Believe me when I say that back then I would never in a million or more years have dreamed that the crazy guy across the hall would someday be a Senator and candidate for President!

John was a wild man. He was funny, with a quick wit and he was intelligent. But he was intent on breaking every USNA regulation in our 4 inch thick USNA Regulations book. And I believe he must have come as close to his goal as any midshipman who ever attended the Academy. John had me "coming around" to his room frequently during my plebe year. And on one occasion he took me with him to escape "over the wall" in the dead of night. He had a taxi cab waiting for us that took us to a bar some 7 miles away. John had a few beers, but forbid me to drink (watching out for me I guess) and made me drink cokes. I could tell many other midshipman stories about John that year and he unbelievably managed to graduate though he spent the majority of his first class year on restriction for the stuff he did get caught doing. In fact he barely managed to graduate, standing 5th from the bottom of his 800 man graduating class. I and many others have speculated that the main reason he did graduate was because his father was an Admiral, and also his grandfather, both U.S. Naval Academy graduates.

People often ask if I was a Prisoner of War with John McCain. My answer is always "No - John McCain was a POW with me." The reason is I was there for 8 years and John got there 2 ½ years later, so he was a POW for 5 ½ years. And we have our own seniority system, based on time as a POW.

John's treatment as a POW:

1) Was he tortured for 5 years? No. He was subjected to torture and maltreatment during his first 2 years, from September of 1967 to September of 1969. After September of 1969 the Vietnamese stopped the torture and gave us increased food and rudimentary health care. Several hundred of us were captured much earlier. I got there April 20, 1965 so my bad treatment period lasted 4 1/2 years. President Ho Chi Minh died on September 9, 1969, and the new regime that replaced him and his policies was more pragmatic. They realized we were worth a lot as bargaining chips if we were alive. And they were right because eventually Americans gave up on the war and agreed to trade our POW's for their country. A damn good trade in my opinion! But my point here is that John allows the media to make him out to be THE hero POW, which he knows is absolutely not true, to further his political goals.

2) John was badly injured when he was shot down. Both arms were broken and he had other wounds from his ejection. Unfortunately this was often the case - new POW's arriving with broken bones and serious combat injuries. Many died from their wounds. Medical care was non-existent to rudimentary. Relief from pain was almost never given and often the wounds were used as an available way to torture the POW. Because John's father was the Naval Commander in the Pacific theater, he was exploited with TV interviews while wounded. These film clips have now been widely seen. But it must be known that many POW's suffered similarly, not just John. And many were similarly exploited for political propaganda.

3) John was offered, and refused, "early release." Many of us were given this offer. It meant speaking out against your country and lying about your treatment to the press. You had to "admit" that the U.S. was criminal and that our treatment was "lenient and humane." So I, like numerous others, refused the offer. This was obviously something none of us could accept. Besides, we were bound by our service regulations, Geneva Conventions and loyalties to refuse early release until all the POW's were released, with the sick and wounded going first.

4) John was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for heroism and wounds in combat. This heroism has been played up in the press and in his various political campaigns. But it should be known that there were approximately 600 military POW's in Vietnam. Among all of us, decorations awarded have recently been totaled to the following: Medals of Honor - 8, Service Crosses - 42, Silver Stars - 590, Bronze Stars - 958 and Purple Hearts - 1,249. John certainly performed courageously and well. But it must be remembered that he was one hero among many - not uniquely so as his campaigns would have people believe.

John McCain served his time as a POW with great courage, loyalty and tenacity. More that 600 of us did the same. After our repatriation a census showed that 95% of us had been tortured at least once. The Vietnamese were quite democratic about it. There were many heroes in North Vietnam. I saw heroism every day there. And we motivated each other to endure and succeed far beyond what any of us thought we had in ourselves. Succeeding as a POW is a group sport, not an individual one. We all supported and encouraged each other to survive and succeed. John knows that. He was not an individual POW hero. He was a POW who surmounted the odds with the help of many comrades, as all of us did.

I furthermore believe that having been a POW is no special qualification for being President of the United States. The two jobs are not the same, and POW experience is not, in my opinion, something I would look for in a presidential candidate.

Most of us who survived that experience are now in our late 60's and 70's. Sadly, we have died and are dying off at a greater rate than our non-POW contemporaries. We experienced injuries and malnutrition that are coming home to roost. So I believe John's age (73) and survival expectation are not good for being elected to serve as our President for 4 or more years.

I can verify that John has an infamous reputation for being a hot head. He has a quick and explosive temper that many have experienced first hand. Folks, quite honestly that is not the finger I want next to that red button.

It is also disappointing to see him take on and support Bush's war in Iraq, even stating we might be there for another 100 years. For me John represents the entrenched and bankrupt policies of Washington-as-usual. The past 7 years have proven to be disastrous for our country. And I believe John's views on war, foreign policy, economics, environment, health care, education, national infrastructure and other important areas are much the same as those of the Bush administration.

I'm disappointed to see John represent himself politically in ways that are not accurate. He is not a moderate Republican. On some issues he is a maverick. But his voting record is far to the right. I fear for his nominations to our Supreme Court, and the consequent continuing loss of individual freedoms, especially regarding moral and religious issues. John is not a religious person, but he has taken every opportunity to ally himself with some really obnoxious and crazy fundamentalist ministers lately. I was also disappointed to see him cozy up to Bush because I know he hates that man. He disingenuously and famously put his arm around the guy, even after Bush had intensely disrespected him with lies and slander. So on these and many other instances, I don't see that John is the "straight talk express" he markets himself to be.

Senator John Sidney McCain, III is a remarkable man who has made enormous personal achievements. And he is a man that I am proud to call a fellow POW who "Returned With Honor." That's our POW motto. But since many of you keep asking what I think of him, I've decided to write it out. In short, I think John Sidney McCain, III is a good man, but not someone I will vote for in the upcoming election to be our President of the United States.

Doctor Phillip Butler is a 1961 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former light-attack carrier pilot. In 1965 he was shot down over North Vietnam where he spent eight years as a prisoner of war. He is a highly decorated combat veteran who was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Heart medals.

After his repatriation in 1973 he earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at San Diego and became a Navy Organizational Effectiveness consultant. He completed his Navy career in 1981 as a professor of management at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is now a peace and justice activist with Veterans for Peace.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=1038

Generated on: Wednesday 20th of August 2008 10:46:04 PM

[condotown]

Well, just listen to Obama....

He's a stuttering idiot!

[Dave40]

Roll on November!!!! :roll: :roll:

[i_love_som_tam]

yeah... i'll rely on anything published by michael moore.

i am sure if the author of this piece were to run for any public office, he would use his service record as well.

all US POWs that suffered the brutality of their north vietnamese captors were heros. why not exploit his experience?

[PJack]

McCain is angry and bitter. Those are the last two qualities we need in the next President of the USA.

[zeusbheld]

yeah... i'll rely on anything published by michael moore.

i'll give him this.... he's more honest than Ann Coulter....

but that's sorta like saying "son of sam wasn't as bad as BTK."

i

am sure if the author of this piece were to run for any public office, he would use his service record as well.

the McCain we see, like the Obama we see, are brands contrived by their respective handlers. they have sweet **** all to do with them as human beings, and sweet **** all to do with how they'll govern.

i find it interesting that McCain is sucking up to the republican base now, when in practice he's been more of a pragmatist until now, and obama's selling himself as a centrist pragmatist... and being pilloried in the 'liberal' media".

which brings me to my canned rant about media bias: the so-called 'pervasive liberal bias' is bullshit so far as hard news goes. it may show up in opinion pages but generally the media pander to their audience to boost ratings (and yeah i'm including fox) NOT to further their ideology or political agenda.

the media are the cart, not the horse.

[farang_subson]

Yeah, McCain and Obama are as contrived as you'd expect in any serious presidential candidate in America. But I'll certainly vote for Obama because...

1) He voices a "get out of Iraq" sentiment. More so than McCain, anyway.

2) He understands that terrorism/energy dependence/global warming are tied together and require serious thought, action, and $$$.

3) He seems to stir some passion in foreigners. You can't underestimate the importance of that, given the global leverage Bush has lost via arrogance, adherence to dogma, and pure clumsiness.

[DJTX]

After eight years of Bush, and the fiasco he's left, it's a wonder anybody would want to be the next president. Makes you kind of wonder if that's why the real talent isn't there.

[zeusbheld]

i think it is worth clarifying that the words in the OP's post

are not the words of Michael Moore, but apparently of a Vietnam Veteran who was a POW with McCain.

while it *might* be an attempt at swift-boating, it *appears* a more level-headed opinion.

it's also quite likely that Michael Moore's site reproduced it from some other source. perhaps the OP can clarify this rant's origin?

my 2 satang:

i don't think the original author of the article, in spite of having served with McCain, i don't think his "debunking" of McCain's war record serves any purpose. it reads more like nit picking which, while avoiding the lunacy of the swift-boat psychos, seems more pissy than informative.

the one sentiment i agree with, which the OP bolded, is that McCain's war record and military record in general don't impress me as being relevant. now, General Wes Clark was pilloried in the media a couple of months for saying so, but McCain was never high enough up the command chain for his military experience, however heroic it may have been, to be relevant to the duties of the president of the united states.

my chief concern about McCain as a potential president is that he's economically illiterate. while i admire his candor in admitting as much, it doesn't inspire me with confidence that i'd want another president who can't bother to learn about economics.

i'd recommend if americans care about their paychecks as they claim to and vote accordingly as they claim to, we all google of each candidate's economic advisors and vote according to which advisors make the most sense.

[zeusbheld]

4) John was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for heroism and wounds in combat. This heroism has been played up in the press and in his various political campaigns. But it should be known that there were approximately 600 military POW's in Vietnam. Among all of us, decorations awarded have recently been totaled to the following: Medals of Honor - 8, Service Crosses - 42, Silver Stars - 590, Bronze Stars - 958 and Purple Hearts - 1,249. John certainly performed courageously and well. But it must be remembered that he was one hero among many - not uniquely so as his campaigns would have people believe.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=1038

Generated on: Wednesday 20th of August 2008 10:46:04 PM

Not that I have a stiffy for McCain, but in what capacity or experience is Michael Moore making this observation? Every medal has a unique and heroic story to tell, which means there are 2847 amazing gentlemen out there who I take my hat off too. The amount of recipients should not and does not diminish the medal(s) significance. Moore's hatred for republicans is palpable and I dare say that had McCain been on the other side of the fence, the article posted would probably be a petition for his (McCain's) Congressional Medal of Honour?. Unless he bought his ammo from Walmart.

just a reminder: it isn't Michael Moore making these observations but a fellow Vietnam veteran and former POW.

that said, i think your observations aren't really affected by the military credentials of the author of those observations.

[Bruce551]

It is also disappointing to see him take on and support Bush's war in Iraq, even stating we might be there for another 100 years. For me John represents the entrenched and bankrupt policies of Washington-as-usual. The past 7 years have proven to be disastrous for our country. And I believe John's views on war, foreign policy, economics, environment, health care, education, national infrastructure and other important areas are much the same as those of the Bush administration.

One example of Bush-McCain Republican Special Interest policies.

McCain & Republicans are in Bed with Big Oil companies. They don't support the Renewable Energy Bill presently in the Congress. This bill provides Federal Tax Credits to companies that invest in Renewable Energy projects. The money to pay for the RE Tax Credits comes from a "Roll Back" of Tax Credits for Big Oil. The RE-Bill is stalled in the Congress by Republicans & McCain. There are Billions of dollars of RE projects in the pipeline ready to go. Thousands of good jobs could be lost if the RE-Bill does not pass. In California alone has 1,600 MW of PV Solar projects at risk.

The USA has 3% of the population, imports 25% of world's oil supply costing 2 Billion dollars a day. This practice simply not sustainable. Add the cost of America's Army & Navy fighting wars just keep the Oil flowing.

[zeusbheld]

it's just a battle of another 2 losers

Great choices right....(not)

you say that as if anyone who got that far wouldn't be shaped into the same thing by the process.

thanks for the deep thinking.

[SiamHotel]

it's just a battle of another 2 losers

totally agree with that, n0m matter what

"PENITENTIARY OF CONSUMERIXM" [-- Pasolini ]

actually....

[SiamHotel]

buT[T] the lezz disease muUuch better anyway if you axk me..........

not that "I"'m N0T entitled 2 vote u see:!: