As some of you know my first serious "activist" deed was because of the compelling work being done by Sydney Schanberg, I've followed his career since 1979. Recently he's written this article for the Nation that is very interesting. Since so much has been made of McCain the POW, here's a fascinating take on McCain's curious legislative record.
John McCain, who has risen to political prominence on his image as a Vietnam POW war hero, has, inexplicably, worked very hard to hide from the public stunning information about American prisoners in Vietnam who, unlike him, didn't return home. Throughout his Senate career, McCain has quietly sponsored and pushed into federal law a set of prohibitions that keep the most revealing information about these men buried as classified documents. Thus the war hero people would logically imagine to be a determined crusader for the interests of POWs and their families became instead the strange champion of hiding the evidence and closing the books.
I asked around with a couple Veterans Groups, but no one seemed to be that plugged in with this information. I'm curious if anyone reading here has heard about this before or noticed this trend.
Journalist I love part 2 will be Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone and his eviseration of Sarah Palin. Yippee..
Comments (4)
Yeah, I've heard it before and I think this is being a bit disingenous. I'd like to know his source which purports this information to be "stunning".
This is a very sensitive issue so I'm going to try to be careful here.
There is an entire cottage industry based on the mostly mythology of those left behind. Seen any black POW/MIA flags recently?
The fact is as early as the late 80s about half of the 2000+ who had not been accounted for actually had their fate officially determined. The number was inflated because it counted for example airmen whose plain had been shot down and pretty obviously destroyed but death could not absolutely be certain.
It didn't help that the entire story was blown up to gargantuan proportions by movies like "Missing in Action".
My feeling is there is no dark secret here. My bet would be John McCain felt he was doing his best to close out things as honorably as possible and maybe in the end start to lesson the pain of those families.
I don't know for sure since I don't know of an occasion where he's been asked. But I'd be willing to put money on it.
Grift.
In the early 90's I sat and watched the Vessy Commission trip "in country" for hours. I still have it on vhs tapes. I was beyond fascinated by Senators John Kerry, Bob Smith and the others as they went to the sites and interviewed the villagers.
It was pretty clear then that the majority of the reason the US gov didn't want to investigate the missing was because they'd be lying about where the soldiers died all along, that in fact they'd died in places we claimed not to be, and they were worried about lawsuits. I agree that Rambo and the like do not help, but I don't agree John McCain was in fact being at all senstive. There is You tube video of him loosing it at a family member and his silence during the Kerry Swift boating and Max Cleland Saxby election doesn't exactly vouch for any kind of vestage of honor.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A50479-2004Jan2?language=printer
The I Hate Jane Fonda types are exactly who the GOP is counting on to vote for Mccain, and for that I bring this up.
John no doubt has his own demons over this, but I haven't yet been seen any evidence that he's ever put anyone ahead of himself on this issue.
Yeah I've seen that video. And I understand the reason why the govt wants to keep these things underwraps because the truth is they probably weren't where they were supposed to be. Probably in violation of international law.
But if the left (i.e. The Nation) is going to jump on this issue they may want to check the fellows already in the bed (i.e. the crazy ass gun toters).
Taibbi is a treasure.