Thursday, July 06, 2006

McCain Watching

Two years before the next presidential prom and the press is releasing the dirt. Next year it will be mud, but for now they are examining the emotional lives of the candidates.

I have had my concerns about John McCain for a while. I admire the man for surviving a Vietnam POW camp, but have been waiting for the effects to show. Post traumatic stress disorder is rising in Vietnam veterans as they get older. No matter how happy he is, it is very difficult to throw off those types of memories. I've talked with Holocaust survivors who say they never forget, they may not talk about it in detail, but there are events that never leave the mind. Why should McCain be an exception?

In TCM the Liver is considered to be the general of the body. It gives the orders and expects things to run smoothly. When it doesn't, it gets frustrated. When angry it becomes arrogant and starts to affect the organs around it. The Liver is unique in that its energy can go in three directions. The first is lateral where it affects the actions of the Spleen/Stomach. This can manifest as indigestion, regurgitation, inability to eat and bloating. Gravity works, so the energy also goes down where it can affect either the sexual organs or the intestines. In other words, impotence and menstrual difficulties depending on the sex or diarrhea and constipation. Last, as anyone who has become angry knows, you get hot. Literally. Heat rises and takes the energy of the Liver with it. We call this Liver Yang rising and is demonstrated by a red neck or face, loud voice and pounding headaches. If this pattern is continued it evolves into Liver Fire rising with a purple face, extremely loud and intemperate speech, HBP and the ability to only see their point of view.

For many years I have noticed Mr. McCain's facial redness with the increasing darkness and wondered at the toll his being a POW must have taken. I remember when I saw him get off the plane that day. Talk about national pride, they were finally home. He took that moment and ran with it, but he has been running longer than he should and the stress is beginning to show. Or at least be written about.

Finally.

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