A Sound Mind in the Unsound American Body

Anyone who knows the ins and outs of American political life has to agree with President Barack Obama’s comment on Hillary Clinton’s promises if she were to win the presidency when he said, “Her view on many things is different when it wins.”*

The first and foremost fact known to those familiar with American affairs is that intersecting and intertwined interests, lobbies, companies and centers of international power are all conjoined factors; they provide red and green lights for the president and his administration, prescribing what he can do, and what he cannot. More precisely, in many cases, his eye becomes discerning as his reach becomes short.

You have all watched with me the restraint of American presidents. You blame this president or that when he is in power and make him hated or unknown, or call him blind; because his positions or decisions on a lot of things make you think that you’re more right than he is, smarter, and more willful and determined.

But after the term of service finishes and he is resigned to retiring, you are surprised by a wise, just, reasonable and courageous man. Then he starts, in word or by implication, to expose many secrets that prove to you the truth itself that we mentioned at the start of this article, and this is that the president is not a president, his secretary of state is no more than a postman, and above every president is another concealed president more powerful than he is; and that is his conscience, his nation and, often, his dignity.

The power in America is held by the big banks, the 100 biggest companies, radio, television and news networks, Internet sites, international lobbies, and many foreign companies as well.

In a tragic reality such as this, a sound mind stands out in the unsound American body: John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who is almost 80 years old, always lofty, strong and frank, as though he makes it his intent to swim against the current; ascetic in his job, and fearless of losing his seat in the Senate someday. McCain, at nearly 80 years old, in all his behavior, positions and comments, doesn’t comply, cajole or act hypocritically. He is a politician who diverges and differs from politicians.

He stood with the Arabs, the Syrian people, and the Saudis in Yemen; and stood against Iran in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen; against Russia, the Islamic State, Nouri al-Maliki and Hassan Nasrallah; not for the sake of the Arabs, Syrians, Lebanese and Yemenis, but sincerely in the interest of his own country, fearing for the safety of his people now and in the decades to come. His is a powerful wisdom, and he is a wise leader for treating America’s domestic and foreign issues alike.

Have you heard about his latest shocking and fiery essay? In a piece published recently on CNN’s website, he said, “Russia’s military intervention in Syria on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad is the latest disastrous turn in the Middle East under the Obama administration — and another humiliating setback for the United States.

“Just consider: A few weeks ago, the administration warned Russia not to send its forces to Syria. Russia did it anyway.

“Secretary of State John Kerry called Russia’s actions an ‘opportunity’ to cooperate because we agree on ‘fundamental principles.’ How did Putin respond? By bombing U.S.-backed opposition groups in Syria.

“President Obama is fond of saying there is no military solution to this or any other crisis. This ignores the reality that there is a major military dimension to the problem, and it is getting worse each day. It also ignores history: Most civil wars actually do end when one side wins and the other loses.

“That is Putin’s military solution, and he is now imposing it with Russian air power and an anti-American coalition of Syrian, Iranian and Hezbollah ground forces. Russian troops will likely take the field with them. And Putin may then expand these operations into Iraq.

“We must act now to defend civilian populations and our opposition partners in Syria.

“If al-Assad continues to barrel bomb civilians in Syria, we should destroy his air force’s ability to operate.

“To weaken Putin at home and abroad, we should make more information public about the corruption of the Russian leadership, including the president himself, and how Russia uses graft as a tool of state policy. And if Putin continues to strike Syrian civilians and our opposition partners, we should ramp up targeted sanctions on Russia. Low energy prices are battering Russia’s economy and currency. We should increase that pain.

“This is America’s last opportunity to make a difference in Syria and avert a strategic disaster that now threatens the global balance of power. We cannot afford to squander it.”

My fair readers, don’t you agree with me that this American man is a great revolutionary of the sensible and mild-mannered kind, but with strength, courage and pride?

You can see how the world would have appeared today, eight years later, if McCain had beaten Obama in 2008.

Surely it would have been a more compassionate, kind and calm world; and less devastated, burned, uprooted; a world less slaughtered with knives; less barrel-bombed; free of Putin’s planes, warships and missiles. A world without Bashar Assad and his specter; without Hassan Nasrallah, Nouri al-Maliki, Hadi al-Amiri and Qais al-Khazali; without the Islamic State group, the Nusra Front, the Muslim Brotherhood, Ansar al-Sharia and the Houthis (no insignificant matter, as fate would have it).

*Editor’s note: This quote, although accurately translated, could not be independently verified.