1972 Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern spoke Thursday at U. Oklahoma about the nation’s military involvement in Afghanistan, the current state of campaign finance and his failed big for the presidency.

McGovern, who gained national prominence during his 1972 campaign by opposing the Vietnam War, spoke frankly about his disapproval for the military’s ongoing military occupation of Afghanistan.

“I didn’t think we should have been in Vietnam, and frankly I don’t see what we’re doing in Afghanistan,” McGovern said.

Accusations made against McGovern during the 1972 campaign claiming he was a pacifist were untrue, he said.

“I opposed the war in Vietnam, but I fully believed what we did in WWII was just,” McGovern said. “In WWII I developed a full appreciation of the sacrifices made by young soldiers when we send them off to war. War is a deadly business, and something we should never enter lightly.”

McGovern defended governmental spending, saying he feels his taxes are put to great use on roads, education and national defense.

“I’ve visited, for better or worse, just about every country … and not one has a government as useful as the U.S. federal government,” McGovern said. “I’d rather be a citizen of the U.S. than any other country on earth.”

In a question-and-answer session after his speech, McGovern disagreed with the concept of corporate personhood.

“The first time I see a corporation holding a rifle in a foreign war I’ll believe it,” McGovern said.