McCain: "In The 21st Century Nations Don't Invade Other Nations"

Speaking to reporters about the situation in Georgia, Sen. John McCain denounced the aggressive posture of Russia by claiming that:"in the 21st century nations don't invade other nations."

It was the type of foreign policy rhetorical blunder that has regularly plagued the McCain campaign and could have diplomatic ripples as well. Certainly the comment was meant in innocence. But for those predisposed to the notion that the U.S. is an increasingly arrogant international actor, the suggestion by a presidential candidate that, in this day and age, countries don't invade one another -- when the U.S. is occupying two foreign nations -- does little to alleviate that negative perception.

There is another, less controversial undertone to McCain's remark. Since the Georgia-Russia hostilities have commenced, parallels have been drawn to U.S. intervention in Iraq. The two scenarios are highly different in all intents and purposes, both due to regional significance and the longstanding territorial disputes. But some still would dispute the idea, as McCain seemed to imply, that America's involvement in Iraq is any less an invasion than Russia's involvement in Georgia.

Later in his press conference, McCain was asked to address how the Georgian crisis -- which has ceded to a tenuous ceasefire -- was amplified on the campaign trail. The presumptive Republican nominee demurred from attempts to get him to engage with Barack Obama.

"This isn't a time for partisanship and sniping between campaigns," he said. "This is about hundreds of thousand of individuals whose lives are being taken... Maybe later on in the campaign let's have a back and forth about whose comments and statements... but now lets devote all our efforts to resolving a situation that is fraught with tragedy."

A subsequent questioner asked McCain whether this non-partisan window applied to Sen. Joseph Lieberman as well, who, at a townhall on Tuesday, suggested that Barack Obama had not always "put his country first." McCain's answer was classically evasive.

"Let me respond by just saying that I think that whatever we think at the moment that we can all reserve that for a future time. And I think that judgments will be made about how we handled this situation and approached the situation in Iraq and how much experience knowledge and background means in selecting who should be the next commander in chief, all I can say is there will be plenty of time for that and we can move forward. "

Comments

[research]

But McCain does recommend that Georgia invade Ossetia after agreeing to a cease fire, in the 21st century.

[rajoro]

THE REAL JOHN MCCAIN!!!

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/08/16/open-thread-900/

[Maxbyte]

Poor John. He can't remember what he, his powerful friends in Washington, and [without choice] America's sons and daughters did and are still doing to Iraq. Perhaps he's been on vacation with George for 3 of the past 7-1/2 years.

McCain did well in last evening's "debate". That is, he often responded with crisp and brief answers to the questions put to him. In fact, he did so well that anyone who listened to him should have been dazed into disbelief on the [hopefully] remote possibility that McCain may be our next President. He is a cheap copy of the Grim Reaper, and plays the part well. Another acting President? We've had 4 since 1980 - counting General Al [I'm in Charge] Haig.

Incidentally, I wonder if John ever wonders why our rank and file troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are donating to Obama, not McCain, since they supposedly "favor" the war? Only active duty generals are donating to McCain, in the hope they will get a few more promotions and medals if McCain wins the White House.

[Njameh]

With the dozens of gafs he has had lately, I find it hard to believe that he became that smart all of a sudden that night. With him sometimes answering the "debate" questions before they were even asked, McCain sounded like a person who knew the questions ahead of time. I wont put it past the republican machine (that is highly corrupt) to have someone in Rev. Rick's organization who could have fed their campaign with the questions ahead of time. This is something to watch for in the debates.

In one of the 2000 debates between Al Gore and George W Bush, there was a microphone attached to GWB that most probably was a feeding tube for answers. The gadget hookups could be seen clearly in the TV pictures that reported it. Yet the mainstream media, which was as enamoured with GWB then as it is now with McCain now never followed it up. Thank God for the bloggersphere. This time, we must watch them like hawks.

[Knowledgeseeker]

To elect Mccain for president is very dangerous and can possible put America in great danger...
I do believe Mccain would attack Russia with nuclear weapons and that there would be insane. I hope he remember the agreement called MAD ( Mutual Assurance Destruction) signed between Russia and US during the cold war era. If you all don't remember watch the Military Channel, you would find all this info there.

[philtll]

No no no, you're all reading it wrong. What he meant was that nations don't invade other WHITE nations. See also "x doesn't happen between 'civilized'/'free' nations". But as for those lesser, browner peoples, no haughty proclamations need apply.

[Njameh]

Philtll, my sentiments exactly. You have a deep analytical mind and certainly have a point.

[Darsan54]

Do the Republicans have no short-term memory?

[coldcanuckinwhite]

And this guy is gonna take all your troubles away?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGfGtC4Ldms&feature=related

[coldcanuckinwhite]

Hey Americans, is this what you want, for the rest of your lives, which will probably be very short if this guy gets what he wants
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGfGtC4Ldms&feature=related

[pmag88]

When Bush senior invaded Panama in 'Operation Just Cause' (he could), the general consensus was that that even though Panama is a sovereign nation, the strategic interest to our nation gave us license to invade them regardless of international law. I'm not trying to justify a Russian takeover of Georgia, but considering the history there, and our own history, McCain is way off base making the statements he's made.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE0D8123AF932A35757C0A966958260

http://www.skepticfiles.org/socialis/caupansu.htm

http://www.answers.com/topic/united-states-invasion-of-panama

[ShamusNYC]

I can't believe this guy is tied in the polls...

[luckyt]

He's not don't believe the media manipulation.

[lisakaz2]

True or not, educate everyone you know. That YouTube video is very good.

[Mike4Obama]

Looks like Huckabee's followers are revolting against the GOP. Good for them.

http://www.mccanes.com/newparty.html

I guess they are tired of being exploited for votes via a bit of pandering from the GOP only to get nothing of substance from them in the end.

Hopefully this will take hold and further collapse the already strained GOP.

[Gracehoper]

He used to be a part of Huck's Army, but then he went rouge!

[luckyt]

Another party of wing nuts.

[nkclark]

Is this more Republican revisionist history just another charming John McCain "moment?" Neither alternative is very comforting.

[Roschelle]

Nations don't invade other nations...­...interes­ting...con­sidering the fact that the United States invaded Afghanistan and Iraq. But this is coming from a man who claims the Russian-Georgia conflict is the first real crisis since the "COLD WAR"

[Artos]

As a Vietnam veteran who has PTSD let me say this about the situation with McCain. Recently their was an issue in which it was recommended that Veterans with PTSD should not be allowed to own guns and/or be licensed to own them. The reasoning being that Vets with PTSD were too unstable to have possession of lethal weapons. Now most of us weren't even prisoners of war. So imagine what a Veteran like McCain will do when given control of our Military who have lots of weapons. Do we really want him in control of such massive killing capability. Why would the authority figures in power now feel that way about the average joe vet and yet support allowing a man like McCain to wield such power. I see no logic to that at all.

[luckyt]

How many times does this man have to be brought in from the ledge dressed in his superman costume before someone realizes he has alzheimers.

[aWatchmanOnTheWalls]

There is no doubt this is a type foreign policy rhetorical blunder that has regularly plagued the McCain campaign.

It is seen as McCain being out on one of his "unusal" anger convulsion, voiced those comments forgetting he personally sponsored the invation of a sovereign state, being Iraq. And forgetting, "in the 21st century nations don't invade other nations."

This mistake of invading Iraq has weakened our venerability as a Super Power and which very sadly Putin seems to shamelessly exploit. Hopefully we have learnt from this Russian "August" surprise!