Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)

What Arizona voters failed to do for decades, serious illness did instead, likely ending McCain’s political career straightaway or in the months ahead.

It’s hard feeling sympathy for someone supporting decades of high crimes of war and against humanity - along with likeminded extremists in Washington.

Perhaps brain cancer at age 80 is payback time, hardly compensation for imperial lawlessness he supported throughout his political career - mindless of the enormous harm to millions. Instead of denouncing his ruthlessness, the neocon/CIA-connected Washington Post disgracefully called him “a hero…a maverick and a man of courage throughout his life.”

Years earlier, after evaluating him while a North Vietnamese POW, psychiatrist Fernando Barral called him “an insensitive individual without human depth,” adding:

He “does not show the slightest concern…(He doesn’t) appear to have thought about the criminal acts he committed against a population from the absolute impunity of his airplane, and that nevertheless those people saved his life, fed him, and looked after his health, and he is now healthy and strong.”

“I believe that he has bombed densely populated places for sport. I noted that he was hardened, that he spoke of banal things as if he were at a cocktail party.”

His vicious temper is well-known in Washington. He’s disliked by many of his Senate colleagues on both sides of the isle.

He’s been Washington’s leading neocon/war-monger for years. His speeches have been called wooden, halting, mechanical, bumbling, uninspiring, and mean-spirited.

The more people get to know him, the less he’s liked. He’s hard right, pro-war, pro-business, and anti-government serving everyone equitably.

He’s a war hero in his own mind alone - with considerable help from his father, Admiral John (Jack) McCain Jr., commander-in-chief Pacific Command (CINCPAC) from 1968 - 1972.

His grandfather, John McCain Sr., was an admiral and naval aviator, both achieving four-star rank.

During visits to Syria, McCain III posed with ISIS commanders. On return in May 2013, he said “it was a very moving experience to meet these fighters who have been struggling now for over two years.”

He called cutthroat killers moderate rebels. “I know who they are. I was in Syria and I met with them,” he said - explaining nothing about US aggression against a sovereign independent country threatening no one, using imported terrorists as imperial foot soldiers.

In February 2017, he returned to Syria, again showing support for US-backed death squads. His spokeswoman said he “traveled to northern Syria…to visit with US forces…and to discuss the (so-called) counter-ISIL campaign…(His) visit was a valuable opportunity to assess dynamic conditions on the ground in Syria and Iraq.”

H “looks forward to working with the administration and military leaders to optimize our approach for accomplishing ISIL’s lasting defeat.”

Throughout years of US aggression, McCain expressed support for the scourge he pretends to oppose.

WaPo’s praise was contemptible, turning truth on its head, calling McCain “a straight talker (willing) to take on presidents of his own party” - meaning Trump like most others in Washington for the wrong reasons.

WaPo calling his spirit “indomitable” ignores his viciousness, his contempt for peace, equity and justice, his support for all US wars of aggression with other independent nations in mind to attack.

Millions affected by policies he supports won’t mourn him when his end time comes.

-###-

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)

My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."