Sunday, September 17, 2006
McCain's experience
A minor point perhaps, but it deserves to be countered.
I keep hearing, from commentators like Bill Kristol, the notion that John McCain's insistence on enforcing the Geneva Convention is 'justifiable because of his experience.'
No, it isn't. In fact his experience, processed through a mature mind, should lead him to the opposite conclusion. The Geneva Convention was already in force at the time when the North Vietnamese did horrible things to McCain. It didn't help him a bit, so a rational man would conclude that it isn't going to help anyone else. If he wants to save future soldiers from equally atrocious treatment, he should be looking in other places for the solution.
The best solution of all is to prevent future soldiers from having to fight vicious enemies. And how do we get there? We win this war speedily and decisively, then we strengthen our intelligence and defenses so future enemies will see only futility when they envision attacking America. ¶ 4:02 PM
I keep hearing, from commentators like Bill Kristol, the notion that John McCain's insistence on enforcing the Geneva Convention is 'justifiable because of his experience.'
No, it isn't. In fact his experience, processed through a mature mind, should lead him to the opposite conclusion. The Geneva Convention was already in force at the time when the North Vietnamese did horrible things to McCain. It didn't help him a bit, so a rational man would conclude that it isn't going to help anyone else. If he wants to save future soldiers from equally atrocious treatment, he should be looking in other places for the solution.
The best solution of all is to prevent future soldiers from having to fight vicious enemies. And how do we get there? We win this war speedily and decisively, then we strengthen our intelligence and defenses so future enemies will see only futility when they envision attacking America. ¶ 4:02 PM
