The Real McCain pt 2

[Sucker Punch]

John McCain flew 23 bombing missions over North Vietnam in a campaign called Operation Rolling Thunder. During this bombing campaign, which lasted for almost 44 months, U.S. forces flew 307,000 attack sorties, dropping 643,000 tons of bombs on North Vietnam (roughly the same tonnage dropped in the Pacific during all of World War II). Though the stated targets were factories, bridges, and power plants, thousands of bombs also fell on homes, schools, and hospitals. In the midst of the campaign, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara estimated that we were killing 1,000 civilians a week. That's more than one 9/11 every single month -- for 44 months.



What's not heroic about that? Is it any wonder all politicians speaking in public about John McCain are required to preface their remarks with a fawning admiration for his war service?

Full Article
http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/18532

More on Vietnam covered here. viewtopic.php?f=115&t=39980&p=1320096#p1320096

Nothing to add to the above really, except that the US administration should have been hauled off to the Hague for the crimes they committed in South East Asia, all carried out in the name of 'freedom'. It's funny however one man's war criminal is anther's war hero.

[Clanrickard]

Nothing to add to the above really, except that the US administration should have been hauled off to the Hague for the crimes they committed in South East Asia, all carried out in the name of 'freedom'. It's funny however one man's war criminal is anther's war hero.

First of all the ICC doesn't try crimes retroactively so they can't be hauled off to the Hague. I used to believe the propaganda about the Viet Cong and the smilling Ho Chi Minh. In reality thanks to the US losing the war Vietnam and its people have spent the last 3 decades in absolute misery. Like all communist states it was one big prison camp. War isn't nice or fun but the antidote is free and fair elections, justice and free markets. Those opposed to the antidote ie Socialists/Communists have been the ones who have mostly used violence to impose their twisted ideology on an unwilling populace as per Vietnam

McCain was held captive and refused release until his fellow soldeirs were released. That takes guts. Whether you agree with him or not both in his millitary and political career he has shown courage.

[Sucker Punch]

Those opposed to the antidote ie Socialists/Communists have been the ones who have mostly used violence to impose their twisted ideology on an unwilling populace as per Vietnam

How many US civilians were killed in the war on South East Asia? You should listen to yourself, you're defending mass genocide, on a scale comparable to the Holocaust and Stalin's Gulags. What makes it so hard for you to accept is that it sullies your unblemished notion that the Yanks are the 'defenders of the free world'.

[Squire Allworthy]

Blame the war on JFK not McCain. Blame the current wars on Bush and both the Democrats and Republicans, but not the people out there. Wars are nasty, blame the people who decide to send troops. And while you are at it the USA does not own all the blame for every conflict.

I wouldn't like to be shot at whilst in a plane.

Micheal Moore makes some valid points from time to time and can be interesting, but he can descend into appearing a professional moaner, what has he done that is so brave? Eating Big Macs?

I think a better project for Mr Moore would be to try to uncover and highlight the backers of BOTH the main candidates. He may find that some of the people are in both camps. Heads we win, tails you lose. Now that would be a really interesting story. Bet it never happens!

[Clanrickard]

What makes it so hard for you to accept is that it sullies your unblemished notion that the Yanks are the 'defenders of the free world'.

I don't think they are defenders of the free world. But if freedom is to be defended it is likely they'll be the ones to whom people turn.

[Thac0man]

Trying to blame operation Rolling Thunder on McCain or associate it with Mccain ona personal level is laughable and smacks of serious desperation. Oooh the big booogey man!