And I have to disagree pretty heartily on the idea that our system was specifically set up to function only against a "common enemy." Our most severe dysfunction has always been a result of internal cultural problems. In fact an ostensible "common enemy," far from unifying us, usually divides us even more. The domestic dysfunction that coincided with Vietnam or Iraq was never really about Vietnam and Iraq but about who *we* are.
Vietnam caused a fracture first (mostly because the country's youth was being sent to war), but then something akin to a consensus on "this war really sucks" emerged, instead of creating a wider and wider rift. Similar dynamics emerged in Iraq (the second time around) or Afghanistan.
There always was Soviet Russia as the big rival that was fought directly or indirectly. Then the 90's were the decade of "America won the Cold War", followed by "America vs Islamic Terrorism". But ISIS was not that great an enemy to band against, first because it was never a real, functional country to begin with, and second because the USA were just "one of their enemies".
At the moment, the USA should have no real reason to worry about geopolitical threats. I do not think it is a coincidence it is the moment where those deep-seated issues within American society emerged for all to see. There is no "villain" anymore, because neither Russia nor China are acting within the US sphere of influence, or directly threatening American interests, or challenging the US position as the most powerful country on the planet. China is expanding its influence like most neocolonial powers do, by buying and investing instead of outright attacking - and while it makes it a rival to the US, it is playing by the rules, at least in the sense of current society.
Just being in the military doesn't make on a hero if it's done via the draft as there is no choice in the matter at that point. I am certain if John McCain had the option he'd have preferred to not have been roped into a war where he would have been in the situation to have been captured and tortured rather than having to go through it. I would have if it were me.
McCain was career military, he chose to fight for his country in Vietnam, there was no draft issue - he was a pilot, which I don't think drafted youngsters could become.
Unless he was a political rival and any comment made could show support to another party that is not your own and could sow weakness rumblings in your own camp.
Even in death politics still counts.
Trump and McCain were GOP. It's not like he was praising a member of the Democratic Party.
I'm not Catholic so I really have no dog in this race, but the whole "lavender mafia" angle that the press is tiptoeing around is really interesting
It is the latest occurrence of the huge infighting between reformists and conservatives within the Catholic Church - and "lavender mafia" is a term used exclusively by the archconservative aisle, the equivalent of "Deep State" in regular politics. The SSPX that supposedly asked Benedikt for reforms is the Society of Saint Pius X, whose founder, among other things, got excommunicated, supported Franco's or Salazar's regimes (and had nice things to say about Pinochet's), and was a support of the National Front in France - when it was led by Jean-Marie "gas chambers are but a detail of history" Le Pen. So, not exactly your average, run-of-the-mill catholics - although they get points for consistency as Richard Williamson, a prominent negationnist, was part of the order.
What I read is that the timing of this "scandal" is not random, as it happens right when Pope Francis is in the middle of a series of travels where he wants to apologize for past behavior of the Church, including in countries like Ireland that conservatives see as "slipping away" from Catholic influence.
But Francis, purposefully or not, overshadowed that case anyway by linking homosexuality with psychiatric issues, which removed the McCarrick case from the front pages.
