Colin Powell:
His most memorable statement:
In early 2003, during the rush to invade Iraq, Powell was told that then-president George W. Bush slept like a baby.
Powell’s response was:
In February, Powell read a speech at the U. N. Defending the invasion, a speech which was full of lies.
What is missing: any clear acknowledgement, apology, or any atonement from him.
What was lost (not a complete list):
1. Hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, killed.
2. Millions more wounded and/or made homeless refugees.
3. Thousands of U. S. troops killed; tens of thousands wounded.
4. Powell’s reputation, credibility & integrity.
5. His future, and that of so many others.
6. Trillions of American citizens’ tax dollars, lost, wasted, stolen and diverted from the humane purposes and constructive needs of two generations, and counting.
May he and all the others rest in peace.
Especially the others.
I find your piece here to be unfair to Powell. Sure, he made a grave mistake in his statement before the United Nations about WMD in Iraq. But it is not true that there was never any clear acknowledgment or apology or atonement from Colin Powell for his role in getting us involved in Iraq. See The Washington Post article from today:https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/colin-powell-iraq-war/2021/10/18/179d66bc-3023-11ec-a880-a9d8c009a0b1_story.html
Chuck is gentle.
The Washington Post? – more lies about American terror?
Honest assessment?:
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/10/18/colin-powell-an-appraisal/
Nothing new.
Put someone in a uniform with the latest weapons of human destruction. If they can kill on demand promote them. And promote them. And put medals on them. And make them an icon.
It doesn’t matter what race or religion or ended or community you come from. If you can blindly follow orders the Patriarchy will promote and then protect you. And not just in the military.
Collin Powell’s story is more public and sold better than most other mass murderers. . Besides, he has a beautiful smile and a soothing voice.
As for his apology. Not looks more like an explanation for why he told the lie. There were other red flags that should have warned him against going into Iraq the 2nd time. Like Bush St. advising against invading?
It all just hurts … and hurts…and hurts.
But I pray and sense….Our dear planet will end war itself, somehow or other, if we humans don’t.
Then I pray there will be enough variety of life left on land and in sea, for them and it to restore the miraculous creative vigour… of course none of us will be there to enjoy it. But it gives me a little hope.
I agree with Daniel P. Whitley, Chuck, in finding your judgement on Colin Powell to be harsh. He made a serious mistake, yes. But he was not a bad man.
Would his replacement if he had been utterly moral and honest have been worse? Likely.
Is that an active choice he made, to do what he could when he could, and to stay in the system at all costs, so the country would not have have a worse replacement for him? How can we know?
The truth is likely somewhere between the two.
Maybe.
Another point of view?:
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2021/10/19/creator-of-worlds-most-effective-anti-war-meme-dead-at-84/
Thank you for that about Colin Powell. I had been beginning to be taken in by all the adulation. Anti-racism can be taken too far.
BTW your “Without Apology” is one of my favourite Quaker books.
Thanks, Stephen!