There is an indirect but pertinent relationship between my father and the dear senator that extends beyond their shared terminal illness.
My father (56) immigrated from England when he was 17 and landed in Chicago. After a year or two of government schools he graduated and promptly enlisted in the United States Army. He started his career as a private and, until very recently, was a Lietenient Colonel and was an administrator at one of the largest Army Hospitals state-side.
In early to mid elementary-school ages, I remember my father deploying numerous times to Bosnia/Herzegovania/Kosovo. At the time, I didn't understand why it was necessary. I'm no genius and no one really explained it to me outside of the "America is for freedom" concept. Almost 20 years later, with a skeptics intuition, I smell bullshit.
My father is a Physician's Assistant which requires a master's degree in medicine. His only health issues in the past were kinetically related because he played soccer and basketball. We also have no family history of any cancer at all. He took care of himself; no smoking, regular exercise, good diet.
So it came as a shock to us when we learned he had a brain tumor that was likely to be his end. When he met with the private oncologist who operates her private practice near a military base we were stunned by what she told us. Over 70% of the patients she sees with Glioblastomas were or are military members who have had exposure to burn-pits.
What's a burn-pit? In a base of operations overseas there is no garbage service. No one makes you differentiate your organic vs recyclable garbage. You throw everything into a big pit that is set on fire. This really isn't a big deal as long as you're not burning anything hazardous. Plastic and paper and shit will make you cough, but it's not likely to give you long time health problems. But what if you throw in depleted Uranium casings?
That's right. Our military uses depleted uranium ammunition because it's effective at peircing armor and thick walls. And what do they do with the remaining ordinance? They throw it into a fucking fire right next to the camp.
What does John McCain have to do with this? He's, as Vox Day would say, an acolyte for the Prince of Lies. Here's an excerpt of a NYT Q&A w/ McCain concerning his initial disapporval of the Bosnian intervention and his ultimate betrayal of that "belief":
Q. You, as much as anyone in Congress, know the high costs of war, and yet you and Senator Bob Dole, in a politically unpopular move, pushed for a Senate endorsement of the Bosnia mission. Why did you consider this important?
A. I had been a long-time skeptic, if not outright opponent, of our Bosnia policy. Senator Dole and I and others were strong proponents of lifting the arms embargo. But when the president made his commitment, committing not just Bill Clinton but the United States of America, the entire situation changed.
There were significant negative costs associated with repudiating such a commitment — one, the credibility of the United States, two, the lasting viability of NATO, and three, the assurances of leaders of the participants in the war that the conflict would be reignited.
I have no doubt that the Congress has the authority to cut off funding, but that was not going to happen. When you vote to cut off funding, with American troops already there, whether you intend to or not you send a message to those troops that you don't support what they're doing.
Apparently not funding a war that you supposedly disagree with is now treasenous because you can't have the perception that the people you're ordering to fight the war are doing something for an immoral pretense.
John McCain was just diagnosed with the same brain tumor my father was. I firmly believe that had my father not been exposed to that radiation he would be happy and healthy. He's now teetering on a knife's edge.
The God Emperor has released a statement that asks for thoughts and prayers for Johnny on the trigger.
I will not waste my prayers for John.
May he rot in Hell.