Comments | beatrixherald: Politics- Does being a POW prepare you to run a country?

beatrixherald

Politics- Does being a POW prepare you to run a country?

Aug 19, 2008 10:29

So, I am not a big supporter of Obama or McCain. I liked Hillary, but I will probably vote Green party in November. That being said. Why do people think that McCain is a good Choice because he was in a POW camp and was a vietnam Vet? I know LOTS of vietnam vets who are WAY TOO Messed up because of there service to run a household, nevermind a ( Read more... )

Comments 7

cathgrace August 19 2008, 15:24:17 UTC

"Is he exaggerating his experience and it wasn't that bad ( ... )

I hear you... beatrixherald August 19 2008, 16:04:47 UTC

I am not trying to devalue any experiences that our veterans have had... Infact, I am also sensitvie to veterans affairs, because my dad is a Vietnam Vet. (and many of his friends) I know that My father's experiences left him severely impared in many areas of his life (though not all!). True, everyone has their issues, and not everyone is affected in the same way, and many people deal effectively with adversity and it makes them stronger. But some people dont ( ... )

Re: I hear you... cathgrace August 19 2008, 18:18:46 UTC

I wasn't overly offended, I also agree on the issues needing to be the main concern, I am just a little touchy I guess about the implication that abuse implies damaged goods. We are all damaged goods in some way, if it comes down to it, and prisoners of war are dealt a truly cruel hand. (a lot of my history studies have focused on WWII internment camps)

I think the actual question is... jurgenzuvols August 19 2008, 15:55:22 UTC

Should a person who has been incarcerated be allowed to lead a nation state?

Some leaders who have been previously incarcerated turned out to be pretty hideous demagogues:
Hitler
Napoleon
etc.

Some turned out to be pretty good:
Nelson Mandela
Gandi
etc.

Ultimately, incarceration is a big question mark in a political candidate's resume. The time spent in any kind of detention could have involved brainwashing efforts, emotional trauma, or physical torture. McCain's success after his time as a POW seems to indicate that he weathered his incarceration reasonably well (from an emotional point of view).

My personal opinion is that I'm disappointed to see McCain depart from his 2000 Campaign issues, and adopt a more right wing George W. stance on many issues. I liked the McCain of 2000, I'm pretty unsure about the McCain of 2008. We don't need a third term of W.

-Jurgen

Re: I think the actual question is... cathgrace August 19 2008, 18:27:26 UTC

"I think the actual question is Should a person who has been incarcerated be allowed to lead a nation state?"

I think that's a completely mute point, as the reason for the incarceration has everything to do with the cases you spoke of. McCain was not incarcerated for a crime he committed, he was a prisoner of war. Hitler was not hitler because he went to prison, Hitler was horrid, and got sent to prison for his own actions. Napoleon wasn't some lovely bloke that got sent to an island jail, which completely changed his personality so he decided to attempt to take over Europe.......

Re: I think the actual question is... jurgenzuvols August 19 2008, 19:51:38 UTC

Well, yes and no.. Not just the reason for incarceration, but also the nature of the incarceration.

I would say that incarceration is an indication that the politician in question has led an interesting life with some controversy in it. I'm not so sure that the reason someone got imprisoned is a very good indication. Hitler & Mandela got put away for very similar reasons. Both were seen as political threats to the entrenched establishment. However, they are not at all comparable, as men.

McCain wasn't a political prisoner, but was instead a PoW. I'm not sure how that makes his situation different. But I'm open to talking about it.

-Jurgen

Re: I think the actual question is... cathgrace August 20 2008, 03:31:20 UTC

I am the first American citizen in my family, as they are all from South Africa, I try not to have a public opinion on Mandela, but his canonization as a saint is based on an absolute rewrite of his history. Mandela, his wife, and the ANC were criminals who created a violent resistance culture to apartheid. I am not saying that apartheid was a good thing, but during Mandela's trial, 90 pages of documents in his own handwriting came to light. Mandela addressed what he called "sellouts" in these documents. (Sellouts being anyone black who wasn’t actively resisting apartheid) He advocated "cutting their noses off." In Angola, the breasts were cut off living white women and other whites were sawed in half at a timbermill. Winnie Mandela once said that they would liberate South Africa with boxes of matches. They weren’t kidding…….. More than 400 black South Africans were murdered by placing tires (necklacing) around the necks of black policemen, civil workers, etc; they then poured petrol on them, and set them alight. People were stoned, ( ... )