by Pa Rock
Poetry Appreciator
Say and think what you will about crusty old John McCain, the senior Arizona senator is really good at a couple of things: holding a grudge and saying whatever he damned well pleases. If Donald Trump possessed even half-a-brain, he would not have needlessly and carelessly impugned McCain's military service record during last year's campaign. Trump's joking remarks about McCain's capture by the North Vietnamese did not escape the senator's notice. Now Johnny Mac is serving up some sweet revenge, albeit a bit cold.
McCain's first shot across Trump's bow came when he helped to kill the Senate's efforts to repeal Obamacare, voting against a measure supported by Trump and nearly every other Republican member of the Senate. Now McCain has lobed another shot at Trump - and it was a doozy!
Johnny Mac, while speaking to CSPAN about the new Ken Burns' documentary on the Vietnam War, had this to say about those who served and those who did not:
And while those nasty old bone spurs must have been painful, McCain's criticism undoubtedly hurts worse.
So far The Donald has resisted the urge to go on Twitter and fire back at the cranky old veteran. That is probably a smart tactical decision on his part because McCain, like Trump, does not like losing.
Here are some of Steve Earle's thoughts on who starts wars and who actually fights them.
Rich Man's War
by Steve Earle
Jimmy joined the army 'cause he had no place to go
There ain't nobody hirin'
'Round here since all the jobs went
Down to Mexico
Reckoned that he'd learn himself a trade maybe see the world
Move to the city someday and marry a black haired girl
Somebody somewhere had another plan
Now he's got a rifle in his hand
Rollin' into Baghdad wonderin' how he got this far
Just another poor boy off to fight a rich man's war
Bobby had an eagle and a flag tattooed on his arm
Red white and blue to the bone when he landed in Kandahar
Left behind a pretty young wife and a baby girl
A stack of overdue bills and went off to save the world
Been a year now and he's still there
Chasin' ghosts in the thin dry air
Meanwhile back at home the finance company took his car
Just another poor boy off to fight a rich man's war
When will we ever learn
When will we ever see
We stand up and take our turn
And keep tellin' ourselves we're free
Ali was the second son of a second son
Grew up in Gaza throwing bottles and rocks when the tanks would come
Ain't nothin' else to do around here just a game children play
Somethin' 'bout livin' in fear all your life makes you hard that way
He answered when he got the call
Wrapped himself in death and praised Allah
A fat man in a Mercedes Benz drove him to the door
Just another poor boy off to fight a rich man's war
Poetry Appreciator
Say and think what you will about crusty old John McCain, the senior Arizona senator is really good at a couple of things: holding a grudge and saying whatever he damned well pleases. If Donald Trump possessed even half-a-brain, he would not have needlessly and carelessly impugned McCain's military service record during last year's campaign. Trump's joking remarks about McCain's capture by the North Vietnamese did not escape the senator's notice. Now Johnny Mac is serving up some sweet revenge, albeit a bit cold.
McCain's first shot across Trump's bow came when he helped to kill the Senate's efforts to repeal Obamacare, voting against a measure supported by Trump and nearly every other Republican member of the Senate. Now McCain has lobed another shot at Trump - and it was a doozy!
Johnny Mac, while speaking to CSPAN about the new Ken Burns' documentary on the Vietnam War, had this to say about those who served and those who did not:
“One aspect of the [Vietnam] conflict, by the way, that I will never ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest-income level of America, and the highest-income level found a doctor that would say that they had a bone spur. That is wrong. That is wrong. If we are going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve.”Donald Trump, a social dilettante who was of prime draft age during the Vietnam War, did not serve. Trump had a total of five deferments, one of which was for "bone spurs."
And while those nasty old bone spurs must have been painful, McCain's criticism undoubtedly hurts worse.
So far The Donald has resisted the urge to go on Twitter and fire back at the cranky old veteran. That is probably a smart tactical decision on his part because McCain, like Trump, does not like losing.
Here are some of Steve Earle's thoughts on who starts wars and who actually fights them.
Rich Man's War
by Steve Earle
Jimmy joined the army 'cause he had no place to go
There ain't nobody hirin'
'Round here since all the jobs went
Down to Mexico
Reckoned that he'd learn himself a trade maybe see the world
Move to the city someday and marry a black haired girl
Somebody somewhere had another plan
Now he's got a rifle in his hand
Rollin' into Baghdad wonderin' how he got this far
Just another poor boy off to fight a rich man's war
Bobby had an eagle and a flag tattooed on his arm
Red white and blue to the bone when he landed in Kandahar
Left behind a pretty young wife and a baby girl
A stack of overdue bills and went off to save the world
Been a year now and he's still there
Chasin' ghosts in the thin dry air
Meanwhile back at home the finance company took his car
Just another poor boy off to fight a rich man's war
When will we ever learn
When will we ever see
We stand up and take our turn
And keep tellin' ourselves we're free
Ali was the second son of a second son
Grew up in Gaza throwing bottles and rocks when the tanks would come
Ain't nothin' else to do around here just a game children play
Somethin' 'bout livin' in fear all your life makes you hard that way
He answered when he got the call
Wrapped himself in death and praised Allah
A fat man in a Mercedes Benz drove him to the door
Just another poor boy off to fight a rich man's war
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