The eulogies for the recently deceased John McCain, a US Senator for Arizona, have been plentiful, and so far as the American mainstream media is concerned, they have verged on the hagiographic. He has been variously described as a "patriot", a "war hero" and a "defender of freedom". Most perplexingly, McCain was lauded as a "warrior for peace". But while praise for McCain has been dutifully administered in reverential terms by both liberal and conservative figures, the truth is that there is widespread dissent about McCain's legacy as a man, as a military officer, as well as a politician. Perhaps, most worrisome is the construction of McCain's legacy as one of the resolutely principled maverick and insatiable peace seeker. On the contrary,
McCain operated at the highest echelons of the American Establishment, a closeted world of vested interests comprising a network
geared towards the enrichment of the American elite. He was a
captive of the defence industry and an unceasingly aggressive spokesperson for the post-Cold War era militarism that has compromised the United States and brought it down low in the eyes of the global community of nations.
So why the almost uncritical eulogising of a controversial life beset by allegations of incompetence, corruption and disloyalty?
Perhaps it is the tradition of the people of the United States to venerate their warriors. From the highest serving general to the lowest level footsoldier, Americans have a penchant for what might be termed 'soldier worship'. There is also a tendency for disparate groups of people to pull together behind someone when confronted by an idea or by a person to whom they feel repugnance. It is certainly the case that the transition from life to death brings out the sentimental in people whether such death is sudden or prolonged. And, of course, as with most cultures, Americans are cautious about speaking ill of the dead.
Comment: Evidently the benefits of Russia's defense technology outweighs the threat of US sanctions - or the alternative of faulty US weaponry:
- The sale of Russia's S-400 to Turkey deemed a 'catastrophe' for the US
- Pakistan to purchase weapons from China and Russia after Trump suspends military aid to Islamabad
- S-300? Russia says it will deliver new air-defense systems to Syria soon
- Saudi Arabia turns to Russia: Diversifies foreign relations, considers buying S-400 defense system - Update
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