The confusion I’ve had over what motivated people to support a person like Trump seemed to become somewhat cleared up over the last few days. It happened as a result of Trump’s continuing attempt to cast Senator John McCain in a bad light. How could it be, I wondered, would anyone support a man who would attack a real American hero such as John McCain? How could it be especially when anyone who supported him knew he ducked the draft using a phony excuse of bone spurs provided by a podiatrist who rented his office from Trump’s father.
When I first learned of his attacks on McCain when he suggested he did not like people who got captured in combat I thought it was somewhat revolting. Trump has many failures as a man – cheating to avoid military service – multiple failed bankruptcies, two failed marriages, cheating on taxes, bullying people, etc. Yet despite all these failures as a man, far and away the most egregious has been his criticism of American prisoners of war especially when you realize he was afraid to wear the country’s military uniform.
These American warriors of the past, men and women, who had the misfortune of being captured have been denigrated by this man. Lately when I see a flag as shown on this page which says “you are not forgotten” I think that is true. They are not only not forgotten but are remembered by Trump for the sole purpose of libeling them.
Trump as you know has again engaged in unwanted attacks against John McCain. He does this in light of the long belief: “De mortuis nihil nisi bonum.”
I asked myself why is he still doing it? The answer that came to me, which as I said cleared my confusion, was that it played well with his supporters. Yes, his supporters like him attacking people like Senator McCain. They want him to attack the people who served in the military uniform of our country. And the pattern fell into place, Trump and his supporters hate everything that is good about America: its military heroes, its intelligence agencies, and people working for the American good in our many agencies.
Understanding that I asked myself, what kind of people would be in favor of tearing down those who served in the military and our country? What sort of person would find comfort in the idea that those who served deserve no thanks or commendation for their service but rather are to be scorned. There is only one answer. It has to be people like Trump those who found a way not serve in uniform by cheating or avoided such service through other methods.
He provides to them the excuse for their failure. He tells them it is all right not to serve the country because those who do are suckers – worse some get captured and should be criticized for having put themselves in that situation, like John McCain, a Navy pilot who was shot down by enemy fire over Vietnam.
I then started to look at those who were most supportive of Trump and sure enough it became clear that most of them did not serve in the military. Trump affirms for them that their desire not to serve was good and that it is the best way Americans should conduct themselves. Rather than being turned off by Trump’s attacks on McCain they are comforted. They support him in doing this. There is no other conclusion one can make.
Those who know McCain describe him as “heroic, courageous, patriotic, honorable, self-effacing, self-sacrificing, empathetic, and driven by duty to country, family, and God.” No wonder Trump said: “I have to be honest: I’ve never liked him much, . . .” McCain was everything Trump is not. There is no way he could like him and like the coward he is he attacks him after he is dead. Worse still, he does it because he knows his followers like it.
Tell me how is that good for our country? Tell me how that makes our country great?
To “moderate” viewpoints is to censor them. Censoring views is what the vermillion clad King and his Redcoats tried to do to Patriotic Pampleteers.
Please let me know if you have altered, censored, or “moderated” a single word of my free expressions. It was the STATE COURTS that tried to moderate the expression of the Veterans’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and in the film Mozart, the Austrian King said Mozart’s music had “too many notes” and should be moderated.
Don’t moderate, except delete MSFREEH’s irrelevant posts about the Kennedy Assassination Conspiracy Theories, which merely clutter.
DON’T CENSOR.
Bill:
The reason I made that decision to moderate is that I have read that if someone libels someone else on my blog, that is wrongfully accuses them of a crime, I may be responsible for letting them use my site to publish that. Secondly, some people commenting have started to use language that I find unacceptable even though it is becoming more and more part of the mainstream. For instance the “F” word I’d prefer not to have on this blog because my grand kids may read it. Also lately there has been a lot of repetitious comments having little to do with the subject matter of the blog.
Moderation isn’t censorship. For instance, if I have a blog or put on a parade or rent a hall for a specific purpose, I don’t have to let other people in to express their opinions. I believe it was the Supreme Court that established that rule of law.
There are no sacred cows in America.
American heroes can commit terrible political mistakes, as McCain did on Obamacare et al, and also can commit treason as Benedict Arnold did;
The RED BADGE OF COURAGE shows the craven become the hero, and the reverse can happen in real life. Congressional Medal of Honor winners have become drug addicts and bank robbers.
We live in America, not in an Empire, where some elite are above reproach.
Bill:
I can’t for the life of me understand why people on medicare object to other people getting medical insurance courage as was done under Obamacare.
How is it that out of all the Vietnam Vets, who were universally despised and reviled and called baby-killers and spat upon in the San Francisco airport and other places when returning home, this one is a “hero”?
And why is it suddenly verboten to criticize McLame for his stupid political antics, simply because he’s dead? Did McLame suddenly acquire some sort of immunity from criticism for his political shenanigans by virtue of having served in the military?
Understand – I was not against the Vietnam War, and I certainly did not criticize or oppose Vietnam Vets.
And, yes, it was inappropriate to denigrate McLain’s imprisonment and torture in Vietnam. His military service is to be respected.
But as a senator – he was sorely and brutally McLame, and as a senator, he was no “hero.”
No politician is a “hero.”
Wa-llahi! Speak up! Defend your Glorious Leader, or, stand mute, evermore.
McCain, Kerry and John Glenn had outstanding military records but their political positions were flawed. Criticism of their politics is totally justified. Where is the Russian Collusion? It looks as substantial as WMD in Iraq. 2. Hunter Thompson derided the EISENHOWER YEARS as just conformity, commie bashing and prosperity.But isn’t peace and prosperity what most Americans desire? Trump is delivering on those two vital issues. Turgot the French Philosopher said America would be great because it was based on Reason, Religion and Capitalism. Reagan said that Faith, Family and Freedom were the principles that guided our country. Yet the Dems are promoting identity politics. infanticide and socialism. 3. Reagan added $1.3 trillion to the debt in his eight years. Obama added $9 trillion to it in his eight years. For those mathematically challenged which number is greater? At the 1948 Democratic convention Mayor Hubert Humphrey gave an impassioned speech on civil rights. Persident Truman was asked about Humphrey and said he was a crackpot.
You wonder “what motivated people to support a person like Trump”?
Consider how much many people could not vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton despite the charmed umbra of the Democrat Party.
Ed:
Good point lest we forget.
I don’t know about that assertion Matt, most of the vets and active duty people I know love Trump. Another strange dichotomy is that many police officers I know love Trump as well. Seems strange that people who are sworn to uphold the law adore a man who routinely flouts it. I think it has a lot to do with their misconception that Obama was anti – police. I think it also has to do with subconscious prejudice that while isn’t overtly acted upon in the form of joining a white nationalist group, it nevertheless always works to cast those Americans and non – Americans in this country who are not white, as the “criminal other.”
Dave:
I’m also surprised at the support Trump receives from police officers. How it plays into the white supremacy argument I’m not sure. The one thing I worry about lately is the anti-white male rumblings that seem to be surfacing in the far fringes of the Democratic left. Is America doomed because of what white males have done? It will be interesting to watch that attitude develop and see who is the first candidate to adopt it. The mid-western mayor and the Texas Irish rambler seem to be apologizing for being white.
mostly what motivated people to support President Trump was Hillary Clinton, a leftist liberal, and her hatred for Les Miserables, the Deplorables, half of America she falsely labelled as bigots, when she and her leftist identity politics folks are the true haters and bigots.
McCain was an American Hero, and also is rightly criticized for casting the deciding vote to keep OBAMACARE . . . .also his role in retrieving the phony dossier is beyond dispute
Benedict Arnold was an American Hero . . . Doctor Mudd treated all, regardless of race, after his arrest for his tangential role in the assassination of Lincoln
Please read Kenneth Roberts’ RABBLE IN ARMS . . . .the best American History of the Revolutionary WAr. . . . .Hillary called us Deplorables, the FRENCH KING called his people Les Miserables, and a British GEneral described rebellious Bostonians as A RABBLE IN ARMS . . .we the people are rabble, deplorables, and miserable, and we have come to take out country back from the LOYALISTS AND CORRUPT FEDS, THE REDCOATS OF TODAY IN SUITS AND BLACK ROBES, WHO ABUSE FEDERAL POWER AND ABUSE STATE POWER
Trump is a disgraceful human being. There are people who support him because he seems to join them in sticking his finger into the eye of the elites they believe oppress them. There are others who support him in opposition to liberal policies on open borders, Medicare for all and judicial and administrative regulation of American life. If the Democrats says you must vote for a candidate who supports these policies because Trump is a repulsive person, they will lose again.
Trump had bone spurs or so it has been written. However you may not realize that as bad as Trump has been who will beat him? Liz Warren? with the granny look? Harris could you really see that women telling the military what to do? No thanks! Beto, great talker, empty suit, Putin would eat him up. How about Booker? What has he ever done? Biden so old another big talker. Trump crushed Senators and Governors in the primary. Trump lost Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Countys. Won every other County in Florida. A lot of men are uncomfortable with a woman being President. A lot of people who look like me and are my age think the country is nothing like it used to be and is to multicultural. To blunt and honest? Life long Democrats see so many weak people run for public office Trump stands out.
CNN Contributor Rebukes Network for Charlottesville Hoax
CNN political commentator Steve Cortes has taken his own network to task for perpetuating the lie that President Donald Trump referred to neo-Nazis in the Charlottesville, Virginia, riot as “very fine people.”
https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2019/03/21/cnn-contributor-rebukes-network-for-charlottesville-hoax/