John McCain , a decorated prisoner of war in Vietnam, who was kept in captivity for seven years as a sacrifice to his country, and a one-time Presidential Candidate, had some very hard words for the way that the U.S. is – or isn’t – handling Vladamir Putin’s takeover of the Ukraine.
The Republiican representative from Arizona said something on CBS’s Face the Nation Sunday about the U.S.’s handling of the ongoing dispute between Russia and Ukraine that surprised host Bob Schieffer. Wihtout mincing words, McCain got right to the point.
“I’m ashamed of my country, I’m ashamed of my president and I’m ashamed of myself that I haven’t done more to help these people. It is really, really heartbreaking. I cannot believe that German chancellor and president of France legitimized for the first time in 70 years the dismemberment of a country in Europe. It’s shameful. Vladimir Putin has not paid any price.”
McCain’s frustration with how the U.S. and major European nations like France and Germany have failed to stop Russian president Vladimir Putin’s advance on Ukraine. He expressed disappointment that President Obama was not doing more to help Ukraine, which he feels is the ethical thing for a world power to do. He condemned President’s Obama’s strategy by calling it “more of the same” which apparently refers to inaction by the President, and called it “doomed to fail.”
While Bob Schieffer seemed at a loss for words, stating he’d never heard McCain talk about the country in that fashion, many pundits, bloggers, and those on social media agree with McCain.
Raphael Semmes wrote a reply to a news article about McCain’s words, stating he understood McCain’s feelings, and that was a rare thing.
“I don’t often agree with McCain, who is generally a Big Government Republican, but he is right on the money on this one. Russia is behaving today like Germany did in 1939, while Obama plays Neville Chamberlain at Munich.”
Many agree with the response, fearing that Putin’s moves may be the beginning of the next World War and could quickly escalate into the horror we saw with the Nazi takeover in World War II.
A commenter to the news article wrote , “Considering that the US signed a treaty guaranteeing the territorial integrity of the Ukraine I would say the US has a great deal to be ashamed of.”
McCain has been well-known for his unending patriotism, including physical disabilities to this day from his torture in captivity in Vietnam, and is known as a national hero of war. His influence and words could potentially have significant power over the minds and opinions of the American public.
Readers, what do you think about McCain’s words?
