I was a POW, therefore I cannot do anything wrong

Maureen Dowd points to several instances in which the McCain campaign has used the senator’s POW experience as an all-purpose answer to criticism, in which the fact that he was a POW means he can’t do anything wrong. I saw McCain himself use this trick in the 2000 campaign. I agree with Dowd that this is an unacceptable tactic and should stop.

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Van Wijk writes:

Honoring veterans is a very important part of our civilization. However, when people begin to worship veterans, as with anything else, they debase themselves. In my view, any good done while in the service can ultimately be “cashed in” by subsequent wrong action. John Kerry cashed his service in with Winter Soldier, and John McCain did the same (and then some) when he supported an immigration bill designed to annihilate the United States.

It’s always amusing to me when I hear Jack Murtha or some other fool state: “I’m a veteran, and this is my opinion. To assail my opinion is to assail my service.” This is followed up immediately by “Were you in Vietnam???” as if not having served in Vietnam nullifies any opposition. This train of thought is completely fallacious. It would be easy to find another veteran who is in complete opposition, so where does that leave us? By what criteria should we decide who is right? Time in service? Rank? How about confirmed kills?

Personally, I think that if John McCain thought he could garner more votes by giving speeches in his old prison pajamas, he wouldn’t hesitate to put them on.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at August 24, 2008 09:02 AM | Send