Reading The Pictures: McCain's Deathly Bling

Near the end of the Vietnam war, Bob Dole started wearing a bracelet in honor of an American POW in Vietnam, but never told a soul. In comparison, McCain started wearing one just before the New Hampshire primary, in the name of a young American killed in Iraq, but he's been having no problems flaunting it (especially in this recent, blatant collusion with TIME Magazine).

It wasn't until over twenty years had passed, by the way, that Dole finally revealed the name on his wristlet -- a soldier named John McCain. (See link below.)

What is it going to take -- both for the media, and the larger public -- not to automatically turn into sheep whenever and however anyone invokes the name of "the troops?"

We see the practice here at its most thoroughly callous, "The Phoenix" not just rising on the backs of dead young Americans, but gesturally and defiantly basing a presidential claim on it.

...But excuse me if I have to run, I've got to check on my Ebay bids for my own U.S. fatality bracelet. As of this morning, I've got at least 3,869 possibilities to explore!

For more leading -- and misleading -- political pictures, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.

John McCain on the Cover of Time: The Rest of the Story (Bracelet story at RedState, no less)
The Resurrection of John McCain (Cover Story)

(image: Joe Pugliese. February 4, 2008 cover. TIME. time.com)

Comments

[NCGigi]

War is an expression of old men's hatred for young men.

[tstreet]

The name of this dead veteran should not be worn on a bracelet but pasted on McCain's head to remind everyone of his continuing complicity in this immoral and horrible war and occupation. McCain's only claim to fame is war, death, and fear. Nothing new here. Move on and elect Hillary or Obama in November.

[duffster]

Old wars, fought by old people like me are soon forgotten. It is our easy luxury, secured in part by those old wars, to look back and apply the perspectives of today to a piece of history that informed the character of the old people that fought those wars. This an especially attractive avenue for those who have never seen war up close for themselves; you know, people like Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, George W. Bush, William Kristol, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh. Senator McCain did what he did in the war. We can spin it, strain it, look at it through the goggles of the present, we can't change it. It is part of him. If he is elected, he will use that part of him whenever he looks war as concept or fact. Sooo.. DID we learn something from Karl Rove after all? Are we revving up the Swift Boats?

[anfractuous]

McCain has transmogrified Iraq into Vietnam, a war he's still fighting in his dreams. It isn't enough that your children are dying for a war based on lies, they will now continue to die for a war that didn't end quite to McCain's taste forty years ago. All this, to show there was some point, after all, to his torture.

[10ghostcommander]

This excessive patriotism was probably first used by Bismarck in his his adventures against the Danes, the Austrians, and the French. Bismarck was no Nazi and a very shrewd politician, but he set the stage for what was to happen later in Germany under Adolph Hitler and his Nazi's.One tool that the Fascist's used was the external and internal enemies list.The Socialist's, the Democrats, and politicians in the Wiemar Republic,and the Jews were basically the internal enemy being used as a scapegoat and for 'stabbing Germany in the back' for losing WWI. No one stabbed Germany in the back, they just bit off more than they could handle--the numbers were against them. The external enemies were the Communist's, the Slavs, and the Jews. The Nazi's defeated themselves with their anti-human policies. When the Ukraine and other Soviet bloc countries were invaded, the people welcomed them as Liberators, but right behind the Wehrmacht was the SS and the political Nazi's hell bent on killing Jews, Slavs and others. Is our policy in Iraq any ndifferent?

[BlueinTheFirstRedState]

Like George H. W. Bush and Bob Dole before him, John McCain is a true military hero.

Like George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole before him, John McCain uses that heroism to camouflage a long political career marked by cowardice, compromise and self-serving opportunism. His vote on the Military Commissions Act, aka the Bush Torture Authorization Act, tells you everything you need to know about him.

[HansUnfeit]

Americans are the Spartans of the current era.
We honor the old maxim, "Come back carrying your shield or on it."

We like rattling our sabres.

[starboymikey]

So, after questioning and in some cases ruthlessly mocking Kerry's Vietnam record four years ago, the media is now fixing to give us a little starry-eyed hero worship, without a single word of question about McCain's misstatements.

Anyone think we'll have the equivalent of swift boat attacks coming from the Democratic side? ten-to-one says they won't have the belly to point out his exaggerations and misstatements.

[Economike]

What Civil War general said "As soon as the war starts, everyone has lost"?

[mpgarr]

I am a strong proponent of the right of women to have access to safe and legal abortions--even though I think they are a horrible thing to have to resort to---and I feel the same way about war as well--both of them should be something on the table but they are an absolute last resort to make use of ---resorting to both are failures of sorts---and therefore should not be something undertaken lightly---Bush relied upon war as his first option in both Afghanistan and Iraq---even though a better case could be made for what we did in Afghanistan---Iraq was not needed and had no bearing on the "war on terror."
I think this glorifcation of war in our society is a bad turn of events and in the long run--bodes ill for the future of our nation.

[SaintZak]

"What is it going to take -- both for the media, and the larger public -- not to automatically turn into sheep whenever and however anyone invokes the name of "the troops?"

When they look at the sorry state of their 401K's, when they try to sell their house, when they get downsized. I think people have had the luxury of genuflecting before the troops, but now that reality is slapping alot of people upside the head, "the troops" will quickly lose their glow of reverence.

[OhgReaTone]

The warrior virtues of the Middle Ages have risen to dominate our mentality about the military. We need to take a step back and examine our core values - our core virtues.
Ohg
http://thefiresidepost.com/2007/11/27/life-or-death-warrior-virtues/

[OpusIsUnderTheBed]

If McCain doesn't like war, he is at the very least, way too comfortable with the concept.

If the thing settles out with McCain as next President, you will see an indefinate continuation of existing wars and.....he'll find others.

So, you may be concerned with education, health, infrastructure, veterans, standard of living, but if you elect McCain, you'll get another War President.

[TRex86]

Ya gotta love the new, improved McCain. After he got slimed in 2000 he started reinventing himself, deleting all the good stuff. His latest TV commercial is the height of chuff. It starts with a photo of McCain in the Hanoi Hilton saying, "While I was a prisoner-of-war I was inspired by Ronald Reagan..." Oh, really? From 1967-73, when Reagan was governor of California POW McCain followed his stirring career. He was so inspired that upon his release he wanted to emulate Reagan's major achievements like destroying the California mental health system. Did the No. Vietnamese deliver the LA Times during his imprisonment? Has his self-respect fallen so low that his pandering combines the exploitation of his own POW experience with the brainless worship of California's (actually Union Oil's) ex-governor.

[Nezua]

Support the Truth.

http://www.theunapologeticmexican.org/elgrito/2007/02/support_the_truth.html

http://www.theunapologeticmexican.org/elgrito/2007/03/you_forge_of_yourself_a_dull_weapon.html

http://www.theunapologeticmexican.org/elgrito/2007/06/the_deadly_sugar_plum.html