Mendacities, Mendacities, Cowardly Mendacities

I am this morning reminded of the blatant hypocrisy that those engaged in partisan politics practice. Apparently Donald Trump has called into question the heroism of John McCain, calling him “not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” Mr. Trump did not serve in the war, having received multiple deferments including one for a bone spur on a soon to be named foot. Of course,he was never captured, and the only shots fired at him were from a camera. Mr. McCain, a naval aviator, was shot down during the Vietnam War and been held prisoner in Hanoi and over five years suffered brutal and inhumane treatment in captivity. Some of the Republican candidates have castigated Trump for his disparaging remarks, though not all have sufficiently distanced themselves from the inanity of Trump’s remarks. For example, though Ted Cruz supported the claim that McCain was a war hero he refused to say anything negative about Trump after the latter’s slander.
            I am interestingly reminded of the campaign to impugn John Kerry’s reputation as a war hero during the 2004 Presidential campaign, when the swift boat controversy called into question the actions of then candidate John Kerry. The Republicans remained remarkably silent regarding the accusation, and used the charge to continue to undermine the character of John Kerry. I remember thinking at the time: perhaps Kerry was not as heroic as the reports seemed to claim, but unlike George Bush, Kerry’s opponent in the election, at least Kerry was in Vietnam and had not purchased his way out of service by high-placed privileged government connections.
            The moral character of the Republican Party has veritably disappeared. Lincoln would hang his head in shame to be associated with the bunch of dissolute, dishonest bunch of stony-hearted ignoramuses. To share ranks with the Republicans today is to align oneself with hypocrisy, with stupidity, with a blatant selfishness and cruel callousness to the increasing hardships of others—a hardship exacerbated by the stubborn Republican leadership. That the Republicans are not ashamed of themselves is all the more reason to condemn their unethical stances in the world. They are a miserable bunch.