In Des Moines, Mr. Trump, who took a swipe last year at Senator John McCain of Arizona for being “captured” in Vietnam, and long before that complained that “homeless veterans” were ruining his property values, made the night air sparkle with his praise. And soon, like a true ringmaster, he gave the people what they wanted — three real, live veterans who came onstage to speak to the crowd.
FEB. 4, 2016 - WHEN Donald J. Trump removed himself from the Republican debate last week and threw a huge public relations party for himself, he did what many politicians before him have done: He cynically used United States military veterans to elevate his own political standing. His alt-rally, called a “Special Event to Benefit Veterans Organizations,” held in Des Moines, was the type of circus we’ve come to expect from the former reality TV star turned politician.Thankfully, the candidate stopped short of ringleading a few acts under his big top — no Marines on the overhead trapeze, Navy SEALs balancing balls on their noses or Special Forces walking the tightrope.
The circus had nothing to do with those who serve this country; we know that he was sticking it to Fox News and the “mean” moderator Megyn Kelly. But like many before him, Mr. Trump saw an opportunity and seized it.
Mr. Trump didn’t invent this particular brand of hypocrisy; he just employed it a bit more flagrantly. Politicians from both parties have used warriors as photo ops and speech fodder ever since Abraham Lincoln posed with his generals for Mathew Brady at Antietam. read more>>>
Me too:
"As someone who spent 20 years in the active-duty Army, I should be used to strangers bending and twisting my service to suit their needs. But I’m not. I’ve been out of uniform for nearly a decade, and I still break out in a rash when I see service members used, misused and abused for commercial or political gain."But for me it isn't the 20yrs., like David Abrams who wrote this op-ed, it was my four, plus,all shore and finishing as a GunnersMate 3rd class, with last year in-country Vietnam. Unlike Trump and so so many others. Many hired as Representatives, of the 99%served, and eager to get on Veterans Committee's, like Rep. Miller and Sen Burr, not doing the jobs charged to do in governing, to wave them, 'poser', patriotic flags, as those they represent do eagerly, for personal gain and power to maintain their employment positions!
Just one of the so many ignored and outright denied issues, starting under, forced retired Gen., Sec. Shinseki, Vietnam vet with long military career after till getting fired for speaking military truth to the Bush admin. and targeted after by conservatives, continued addressing under Sec. MacDonald, thankfully, and with much needed mostly not media hyped, like any politically pointed 'scandals', by this Administration and for the first time the Cabinet of. In helping where they could the Veterans Administration under long obstructed thus under funded budgets and under built promises causing oft repeated media hyped 'scandals'!
Another, of so many issues addressed and should have been decades and wars from ago. Not perfected, as so many others, thanks to obstructed budgets and need for them, politically charged, 'scandals' to keep surfacing:
No comments:
Post a Comment