John McCain’s continuing attack on Ambassador Susan Rice is another example of his transference from losing his presidential bid to President Obama. Formerly, I admired Sen. McCain as a fellow veteran as well as one who told us that when tortured continuously, his pain was leavened by knowing our country was above such non-viable methods to gain strategic information. As a presidential candidate, however, he caved to the Bush/Rumsfield tactic of violating our core values and the Geneva Convention with torture, rendition and Guantanamo. I still honor him for his service and former bipartisan efforts for immigration reform and related issues.
Additionally, male bullies describe female deficit attributes they admire in their fellow men: outspoken, aggressive, strong-willed and the like. As well, bullies are cowards, needing other weaklings to bolster their fragile egos.
Perhaps we could learn from a South African middle school youth from the slums when asked what he thought about the vicious fight between then President Thabo Mbecki and then-Vice President Jacob Zuma. He replied, “First and foremost our leaders don’t respect each other … they can’t expect us to respect them if they don’t respect each other!”
Donald M. Foster