Wallis writes: "John McCain angrily insisted on 'right' and 'wrong' answers to his questions of Chuck Hagel yesterday. As a theologian and a religious leader, I want to say that John McCain is 'wrong.'"
Senator John McCain (R-AZ). (photo: Getty Images)
John McCain's Theology of War Is Wrong
02 February 13
ohn McCain angrily insisted on "right" and "wrong" answers to his questions of Chuck Hagel yesterday. As a theologian and a religious leader, I want to say that John McCain is "wrong."
I watched the hostile questions that Sen. McCain asked Hagel in the hearings on his nomination for Secretary of Defense. The angry attacks from McCain were about the Iraq War, for which McCain was one of America's leading advocates. Hagel had previously called the war in Iraq the biggest American foreign policy mistake since Vietnam. Obviously furious, McCain tried to force Hagel to say the last "surge" in Iraq, which McCain had made his cause, was right after all. Despite the aggressive and disrespectful questioning from his former "friend," Hagel wouldn't submit to McCain's demands and said these questions would be subject to history - and to theological morality, to which John McCain has never submitted his views. In fact, his repeated desire to invade other people's countries is offensive moral hubris.
Let me state some clear convictions from many of us in faith community. The war in Vietnam was morally wrong. The war in Iraq was morally wrong. And John McCain has been morally wrong on both of them. Christian judgments of war should always run a narrow spectrum - from the peacemaking ethic of Jesus which rejects war to the just war theology of Augustine and Aquinas. But even in the just war tradition, conflicts have to pass a number of moral tests and be the option of "last resort." The burden of proof is always on those who support war to justify the taking of life.
Both Vietnam and Iraq failed those tests and were unnecessary wars of choice. Those wars were unnecessary, the terrible deaths from those wars were unnecessary, the enormous casualties were unnecessary, the painful family losses were unnecessary, and all the horrible costs were unnecessary.
And yesterday, we saw a politician who has based his entire political career on war furiously trying to force a potential Secretary of Defense to say that he has been right all along.
But McCain hasn't been right in his endless promotion of war as the primary solution to our national conflicts. He has been consistently wrong and America has paid a very high price because of the ideological zealots of war that McCain represents.
After yesterday, I wished that the coming vote on confirmation could be the other way around; that America could somehow vote John McCain out of office and off the American political stage. The cost of McCain's theology of war has been far too high.
The important discussions yesterday should have been about other critical issues: like how quickly and responsibly we can leave the endless war in Afghanistan, how we can address the real threats of terrorism in better ways than failed wars of occupation, what we should do about the real problem of Iran, and a very serious strategic and moral examination of our growing reliance on drones as a primary instrument of our foreign policy.
Instead, we saw old men defending their old wars. That was both very sad and morally objectionable. In the future, I would suggest the Senate Armed Service Committee call some religious leaders to their hearings to raise the questions that they need to hear.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO0tqcJ4I4U
Not just a Senate committee, but all members of all three branches of federal government should be called into a theater, sat down, and told to watch this.
The only reason he was allowed to remain in the Navy was because of his father and grandfather being Navy veterans.
What has been made clear during the past 12 years or more, is that McCain is a "darling" of the Beltway press. No matter what ignorant views he holds and states, he is given a major public forum on mainstream TV. What a travesty of the airwaves!
And you yourself have logged in exactly HOW MANY Combat Flight hours in Viet Nam ? Surely SUCH an expert opinion would require at least one or two.
Now I hate to breakup a perfectly good hate-fest with actual facts here, but somebody has to be the wet blanket.
I am no apologist for McCain, the man has obviously been seriously "off the reservation" for a LONG time now.
But that does not negate the achievements of his youth.
McCain did indeed crash three planes total. That he was the son of a Naval Admiral and the grandson of a Naval Admiral goes a *long* way toward explaining why he didn't lose his flight wings after dumping the second bird.
I was a Naval Aviator from '67 to '71, so allow me to clear the record a bit relative to your "knowledgable" comment concerning POWs.
McCain is NOT lauded for dumping three aircraft. McCain, along with Admiral Stockdale and other "guests" at the "Hanoi Hilton" are JUSTIFIABLY commended for having endured FIVE YEARS of confinement including almost daily TORTURE, and they NEVER, EVER broke.
Before you offer your sniffy juvenile dismissal of such an achievement, I challenge YOU to just TRY IT for a WEEK, much less 5 yrs.
It's easy to sit on your soft sofa with a full belly, and just bitch. Substitue experience for bloviation, and then get right back to us with your "informed" opinion !
"little man complex". He tries to make up for what he lacks in stature by bullying and trying to bring others down to his level.
http://consortiumnews.com/2013/01/31/the-iraq-war-surge-myth-returns-2/
Funny how an unbeliever like myself can be in complete agreement with a believer like Wallis when he talks sense. (specially about McCain - can't stand the guy)
I wonder if it made him feel better to have a group of religious leaders fawn over him. I remember you went and spoiled it all by suggesting that poor people needed help. WOOOOOOOW You were uninvited from then on. A man who wanted to talk to republicans about poor people?? NO NO NO
From then on you were a hero to me....and I do not use that word often. But you REALLY spoke truth to power. So I always pay attention when you have something to say. Thank you again.
Hagel should have stood up to McCain the way Hillary stood up to whatshisname on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
McCain is a non-entity who got into, and didn't flunk out of, the Naval Academy because his father was an admiral. He married the money that got him into politics.
The problem was, it didn't matter what Chuck Hagel said, it was damned if you do and damned if you don't.
McCain should have gone a long time ago. The very fact that he was prepared to run with a moral incompetent like Sarah Palin disqualified him, one of the many bad decisions throughout his career.
The question is, even though Hagel made some peeps that alarmed the neocons, how was it ever possible for him to support McCain? That alarms me.
No they were NOT, but he seemed a little shaky....I did see the whole hearing...and I think almost anybody who was as viciously attacked and battered, would have been rattled.
There was almost No letup, only when the democrats were QUESTIONING. What the republicans did was an inquisition.
"Is military intervention in foreign nations appropriate or not, Mr. Hagel?"
"It depends on the situation."
"Is it right or wrong? Answer the question! It's a simple question -- answer the question! Yes or no?"
"Sorry, I'm not gonna give you a banal sound bite. Next question?"
Beverly Smith
But at least he did serve, unlike most of the other cowards in suits who are attacking Hagel.
It's good that McCain opposed torture. He at least realized that, or maybe he just wanted to remind people that he supposedly had been tortured. Even one third of the Tea Party folks say torture under any circumstance is wrong.
Allow me to be the first atheist and veteran of the Korean conflict to cyber-shake your hand sir!
And I will never forgive him for loosing Caribou Barbie on us. The fact that he could choose such a person as his running mate spoke volumes about his sanity, and his integrity.
He shouldn't be allowed in the halls of power; his character is too deeply flawed, and his thirst for power too unquenchable.
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