I've been to combat and I've seen the eyes of men that have lost "it." Ladies and gentlemen I'm afraid that John McCain has that same look.
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Let me start by saying that I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist and all of my statements are based upon my own experience and observation of "troops" over my past decade in the US Army. My views do not represent any official position of the DOD or US Army.
In my two tours in combat I have seen many Soldiers taken to the brink of mental instability and a few who have passed the brink and stepped off the ledge. This state can usually be revealed by the infamous "thousand-yard stare." I've seen this look a few times in John McCain, but the look I see most often is the one the guys that go "there" to the brink and come back have after they return.
They have problems relating with people in normal situations. You can tell because they just seem awkward no matter what situation they are in. They have trouble empathizing and sympathizing with other people. They are afraid to show emotion no matter how small or inane, and when they do it seems out of place, or they show the wrong emotion at the wrong time. I have seen Sen. McCain more often than not seem out of place or uncomfortable with his surroundings.
The main role of a President is to be able to relate, empathize, and sympathize with leaders from different countries and cultures. If he has an inability to relate in his own culture how will he succeed on a diplomatic level. He will let his emotions of anger and confusion overwhelm his finer senses and we will all be doomed on a diplomatic level. I'm not saying he couldn't function, but then again...could he?
The thing that scares me the most is the anger control issues. These soldiers usually will be set off by the tiniest switch. It could be the smell of cordite at the firing range which smells like the Home-made explosive that hit their truck, and all of the sudden they aren't at the firing range anymore. They go someplace else for a moment, a minute. They disappear. Hopefully they are able to comeback before they do anything stupid. How often is Sen. McCain triggered back to his moments in the Vietnamese torture camp? How much trouble will we be in if a trigger happens at the wrong moment and he disappears to the torture camp and gives an order based on his fragile mental state to the wrong people?
I wouldn't make this a reason to not vote for the man, because I believe he is wrong on nearly every issue between 2000 and today, but I would at least consider the mental state of the person you are electing to run, and be the face of, your country. I hate to say these things because I am a veteran and I have PTSD, but someone has to say it. I feel bad for the man because he suffered so much, and it scares me that he makes it seem like 5 years of torture didn't affect his mental state at all.