Debunking Bullshit Lies and Conspiracies – John McCain

04 Aug 2025 2 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

For the next several days, I am going to wade into some lies and/or conspiracies that were spread to discredit, dishonor and destroy some outstanding people.  If you are tired of hearing about stuff like this, than turn me off for the next week or two.  My intention is to publish one of these stories every few days.  I was motivated to do these stories by some discussions with Trump supporters.  I was amazed at the number of conspiracy theories they believed in that I knew were false.

I am not sure why more information never gets made public to debunk such lies.  It seems the mainstream media does nothing to help dispel the vicious slander and conspiracy theories that are spread about men and women.  People who have the courage to attack a corrupt system or withhold their support for a corrupt system.

John McCain has been widely regarded by many people as a war hero.  Nevertheless, a surprising number of right-wing activists have spread stories to attack McCain’s war record and/or his integrity.  Some even called McCain a traitor.

What was Senator John McCain accused of?  Was it true?  Did he shoot off a rocket while his jet was getting ready to take off a carrier?  Was he ever charged with any war crimes?  Let’s look at some of the stories and then facts concerning each story.

Accusations & Allegations

  1. Keating Five Scandal (1989)

McCain was one of five senators implicated in improperly advocating for Charles Keating and his Lincoln Savings and Loan during an ongoing federal investigation.

In 1991, the Senate Ethics Committee found that while others were reprimanded, McCain (and Sen. John Glenn) were cleared of wrongdoing—though they were criticized for poor judgment in meeting with regulators on behalf of Keating.  No criminal charges came from this—he was investigated but not charged.

  1. POW-era “treason” or “war criminal” claims

Some groups (e.g. Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain) circulated allegations that McCain was a “songbird,” traitor, or collaborator while a prisoner in North Vietnam

These claims generally pointed to a coerced confession McCain signed during torture—not voluntary admission of guilt.

Fact‑checking outlets (Politifact, Snopes, FactCheck.org) have thoroughly debunked allegations of treason or collaboration, stating there is no evidence he committed wrongdoing, nor was he ever pardoned (no such pardon is documented).

  1. The Forrestal “rocket” story

A widespread myth claims McCain fired off a rocket from his jet while preparing to take off from the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal.

In reality, on July 29, 1967, a Zuni rocket was accidentally launched from another jet and struck either McCain’s aircraft or the one next to it. The rocket did not detonate, but ignited fuel beneath the planes, triggering a catastrophic fire that killed 134 sailors and injured many.

Official accounts and McCain’s own writings make clear he was a victim of that accident, not the cause. There is no evidence he intentionally or recklessly launched any rocket

Facts in summary

Allegation       Verdict

  • Keating Five corruption – Senate ethics: cleared of improper action, criticized for poor judgment; no charges
  • Signing coerced confession / treason – False, coerced under torture; no crime, no pardon, fully debunked
  • Rocket launch causing Forrestal fire – False, rocket came from another aircraft; McCain was a survivor, not cause

Final Answer in Plain Terms

Was he ever officially charged with a crime or wrongdoing?

No. He was investigated in the Keating Five matter and admonished for judgment—but not charged with any crime.

Did he fire a rocket while on the carrier?

Misleading myth. That explosion was caused by an accidental rocket from another plane striking near him—not a rocket he fired.

Were accusations of treason or being a collaborator ever proven?

No. They stem from discredited smear campaigns and misinterpretation of a coerced confession during his imprisonment.  Fact‐check organizations have repeatedly ruled them false.

A Comment Left by A Reader Which is Very Pertinent to This Discussion:

The idea of someone like John McCain being considered a traitor is simply beyond the pale. It made me sick to my stomach when that despicable excuse for a human being currently in the WH called him a loser because he got caught. 

🤬

John McCain was war hero and also devoted his entire life to public service. I’ve been to Vietnam and I’ve toured the torture chamber McCain was held in that was given the euphemism of ‘prison’. It’s staggering in its cruelty. The facility was actually build by the French oppressors decades earlier to torture uncooperative Vietnamese in their own country. McCain refused an offer to be released early, because he wouldn’t abandon his fellow prisoners. He was there for years; it’s impossible to imagine once you’ve been there. If he’s not a war hero I don’t know who is.

Debunking Bullshit Lies and Conspiracies – George H. W. Bush

01 Aug 2025 4 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , ,

For the next nine days, I am going to wade into some lies and/or conspiracies that were spread to discredit, dishonor and destroy some upstanding people.  If you are tired of hearing about stuff like this, then turn me off for the next week or two.  My intention is to publish one of these stories each day.  I am not sure why more information never came out or at least why I was not more aware of the lies concerning these people.  It seems the mainstream media did nothing to help dispel the vicious slander and lies that were spread about these men and women.

If instead, you feel like I do that the truth should out no matter how long ago these events happened, than repost, send, share or do whatever you can to help demolish some of these bullshit lies and conspiracies.  I am going to start with the oldest and work forward to end with the most recent.

In 1944, George H. W. Bush was a WW II pilot who caused the death of several of his crew members during a bombing mission. 

Yes, during World War II, George H. W. Bush — who would later become the 41st President of the United States — was involved in a bombing mission during which one of his crew members was killed. However, there’s no credible evidence that Bush caused the death or was at fault.

Background:

  • Date of Incident: September 2, 1944
  • Aircraft: TBM Avenger (a torpedo bomber)
  • Mission: Bombing a Japanese radio installation on Chichijima, a Japanese-held island in the Pacific.

What Happened:

Bush was the pilot of a three-man crew. During the bombing run:

  • His plane was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire.
  • Despite flames in the engine, Bush completed his bombing run, then bailed out over the ocean.
  • His crew members did not survive. Their bodies were never recovered.

The two men aboard with him were:

  • Radioman Second Class John Delaney
  • Lieutenant Junior Grade William White

With his engine on fire, Bush flew several miles from the island, where he and two other crew members on the TBM Avenger bailed out of the aircraft.  However, one man’s chute did not open and he fell to his death.  The other crew member was never found.  Both Delaney and White were reported as killed in action.

Was Bush Responsible?

No. There is no evidence or suggestion from military investigations or historical accounts that George H. W. Bush did anything wrong. He followed procedure and attempted to save the mission and his crew. He was rescued by a U.S. Navy submarine (USS Finback) and later awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions on that mission.

Controversy:

Some conspiracy theories emerged later, largely without substantiation, suggesting Bush abandoned his crew. These claims are not supported by military records, official investigations, or reputable historians. Most experts regard Bush’s actions as courageous under fire.

In summary:
George H. W. Bush’s two crew members died during a combat mission in WWII, but their deaths were the tragic result of enemy action — not due to any wrongdoing or failure by Bush, who was widely credited with bravery during the incident.

3623– Friday, May 31, 2019 – The Old Library Guys

31 May 2019 2 Comments

by Dr. John Persico Jr. in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Did I tell you the story about?  What do old guys talk about when they get together?  I am part of a group of guys who meet each day at the library in Frederic from 10 AM to 12 PM.  There are some guys like Jerry and Dick who come in every day.  Then there are some guys who come in frequently but not every day.  Guys like Lowell, Reggie and Bill show up about half of the week.  More infrequently are Tony, Reid and Andrea, Reid’s wife.  Reid never ever goes anywhere without Andrea or perhaps it is the other way around.  We also have the very infrequent participants like Eddie (A writer for the local newspaper) whom I will talk about another time.  Eddie deserves a blog all by himself.  In fact, each of the people I noted are probably deserving of their own blog.

old men coffee club

Every day we gather for an informal talk about whatever is on anyone’s mind.  No schedule.  No agenda.  No leader.  Almost any subject is up for grabs.  Jerry is the intellect of the group and seems to be the best read with the exception of Tony.  Tony owned a bookstore and taught college for many years.  Dick is a retired mechanic and the most sensible and objective member.  Reggie is a nuclear physicist and that is the truth.  Lowell is a drug rehabilitation counselor now raising some type of legal hemp.  Reid is a former minister and Andrea is a retired lawyer.  Bill was a teacher and now does great wood working art.

We sit around a table, drink coffee, chat and on Fridays we buy cookies from a girl who brings them in each week for sale.  They are homemade and very tasty.  Sitting around talking for two hours can sometimes have its boring moments.  Not all of the conversations are equally interesting to participants.  Some of us ease these boring moments by playing on our smart phones or reading the local newspaper.  Others peruse the library stacks or stacks of movies for something to take home.  Eventually, the conversation changes and those who may not have been interested in a previous subject then find that the new topic is of interest to them.

I have attempted to diagnose the content of our conversations.  If you made a pie chart of the subjects of our conversations, I think it would look like this.

discussion topics

Old stories clearly dominate the discussions.  The bad part of this is hearing so many old stories over and over again can be beyond boring.  The good part is that since the majority of us are over 70 years of age, we usually do not remember much of each other’s old stories.  The exception to this is Jerry.  Jerry always seems to have a keen sense of when and how many times a tale has been told before.  Some of us are worse offenders than others in terms of repeating old stories.  It clearly does not matter to the person telling the tale.  I for one feel that my stories get better each time they are repeated. 😊

Cars are our next most popular topic.  I guess a bunch of old guys anywhere in the USA would find some common ground when it comes to cars.  I don’t think there is anyone in the group who cannot remember their first car.  Dick, the former mechanic, has the best knowledge when it comes to the inner workings of a car and anytime one of us is having car problems, Dick will have some good advice. Jerry who was never much of a motor head frequently zones out when the subject turns to cars.  However, bring up Jeopardy or any old Turner Classic movies and Jerry will provide a better summary of plots and cast than you can find on Wikipedia.

Now you may have noticed that certain topics seem to correlate with the skill sets of group participants.  However, when it comes to politics, we are all experts.  Nevertheless, since Trump was elected, the group has more or less toned down its politics.  I suspect that is because some of the group voted for Trump and some did not.  There is a great divide in our land between Trump supporters and Trump haters.  In the interest of harmony and civility our group has been shying away from discussions dealing with national politics.

More recently, our political discussions tend to focus on “local” political issues.  A current hot topic is the citing of a new CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feed Operation) in Trade Lake.  Trade Lake is a town just north of Frederic by about six miles.  The operation would involve the establishment of a large hog farm on some local farmland.  Many townsfolk are against it and a number of groups have organized to stop it from being built.  Reid and Andrea live on Trade Lake and have taken a keen interest in stopping the citing of the CAFO.  Numerous stories abound about horrible smells and water pollution from pig farms.  Eddie (our journalist) has attended many of the Trade Lake Council meetings where the discussions have often become quite heated.  Once known for his lack of objectivity, he has been working harder these days to “give us the facts and nothing but the facts.”

Once the CAFO becomes old news, there is sure to be something that springs up worthy of discussion.  When all else fails, we will fall back on discussing old movies.  The majority of the group seems to favor older movies as opposed to the newer genre of comedy, superhero or zombie movie themes.  Ask any of us how many times we have seen one of the Dirty Harry or John Wayne movies and it would probably shock you.  Jerry usually leads our movie discussions due to his prodigious ability to remember details from every movie he has ever seen.  As noted above, he is a walking encyclopedia of the old classics.

Well, as Porky Pig would say “Th-th-th-that’s all folks.”

“It was among farmers and potato diggers and old men in workhouses and beggars at my own door that I found what was beyond these and yet farther beyond that drawing room poet of my childhood in the expression of love, and grief, and the pain of parting, that are the disclosure of the individual soul.” — Lady Gregory