For most of my life, I have been an Independent. I think that I have thought through the things of politics that I consider most of all important to me as a citizen.
When I became active politically, I was very let down in one of the most, I thought, respected persons of this administration. That person was Colin Powell. I have met the man in person and he came across as very amicable and knowledgeable and honest. At least that was then, back in the mid 90’s, anyhow. He showed me respect and helped Gen. Shelicasvali {?spelling, let alone say} from my home state. He was the top man at the chairman of joint chiefs of the military! How could I not respect this man. Little did I really know of the most notable incident back in my war days of Vietnam when the then Lt. Powell was involved in nasty matters. Boy how things have changed from then to now and beyond.
This morning I took a look at the Gadflyer and to my surprise, what did I find!!?? This captivating article as to my past hero,[not], Powell.
More below the fold:
When does one consider himself toast? Well, in my honest opinion it is when one figures he/she has got a reputation for covering up the truth! This is exactly what Gen. Powell is doing now. I heard Larry Wilkerson, praise the Gen. in his speech this week. That the Gen. did many good things behind the scene to help keep things one the right track of diplomacy and to keep things from happening that, if were to happen, would mean, severe prices to pay for America.
Well, I beg his pardon, he did not do the one most important thing ever, and that was to stop this administration from doing the most very wrong things ever…and that was go to war. He never stood on his principles and dedication of which he brags about on a daily basis for the American ppl…He chose instead, to be for only Powell and the president of which he chose to stay and work for. For shame!!!! is all I can say…Now is not the time for Monday morning quarterbacking, IMHO!!!! He had a duty to America and he chose not to fulfill that duty…He is worthy of a stripping of his rank and retirement totally for treason. This is hard for me to say about this man, or any one for that matter, but this is the most heartbreaking thing I can say at this time, without getting seriously angry to the point of saying many other bad things about him. I am so sorry for this, that I can hardly believe what I am saying, too. Anyhow, this man broke my heart with his what-with-all that he did to us. I expected greater and better things from him. That is my spiel today. At least I try to deal in reality, not like some I know inside the beltway of never-never land.
In looking on the military of today, was it the leadership of these kind of men, such as Powell, that has made it less in leadership than what we need in our military of war? This may be what broke our will to win, at the end of the game. Didi Gen. Powell change the mentality of the Joint Chiefs whith the way he participated in it? I do think he did! and for the worst, now looking back on things. He really did not show the leadership we really needed. This only my opinion on this matter.
I have to go to work but will try to look in today there. Have your say and do say the way you feel. I know I am very angry as to what I have been snookered on and I intend to do something about it. By making my thoughts public is that way of doing things. Let me hear from you, too. Hugs and have a great day.
Brenda, I feel the same way about Powell. His recent comments about Rumsfeld are pretty much worthless, as is his “service” to his country. I thought I had read recently that he has been recruited by the Carlysle group, but I can’t find anything through searches. Powell is just another Republican turd stuck to the shoe of history.
I do not know if he was hired or asked to join; however, I do think he will not have to worry ever for a meal or a bed to sleep in. He has his comforts made and they shall never be removed for which he has done. I am so critical of him now that I feel like a leaker…:o)…I want to set the record straight for America. I despise him for what it is worth. This just goes to show my judge in character, I am sad to say.
around here, we read his book, American Journey in early 1996 and we’re so disappointed. Here was a man who enjoys sucking up. But wow, now we’re downright embarrassed and hurt because he could have help save the country from a 2nd BushCheney term
Powell, in a heart beat put his integrity under the bus, forgot about the ‘duty to adopted country’ part and allowed himself to be used…all for money, perks and fame.
we see Powell’s character as double flawed… a liar with an ego that, after his UN speech, is worth a pinch of…. finish my sentence please.
I had great hopes for Colin Powell a decade ago but first he surprised me by coming out as a Republican, then he disappointed me by putting politics and party loyalty ahead of the nation’s best interest, and now he just pisses me off finally speaking out about what a miserable failure this administration is. I have nothing but loathing for those who only speak out after leaving office.
You see, SN, that is the situation we all have with our leadership in our military. We just really do not know their politics. Once civilian, then they can produce their preference. All well and good, so far. It is when they become radicalized that is the problem. I am sorry that Powell became such a standard water barer for this administration. I could see him being a moderate republican, but to be such a hypocrite is just way beyond belief. Oh well, my loss, I suppose. That is what I get for holding in such high regard someone such as this. Never again, without my own convincing of things firstly and mostly.
I know a lot of people that feel that same way Brenda.
And even though I always had a rather low opinion of Colin Powell, I never thought he would go to the UN and present a 98% false case for war.
BooMan, love you for being so generous. You allowed him 2%?
After that looong UN speech his promo, props and visuals – marketing the Iraq war. That fateful day, feb 2003, was it? he brought many votes on board.
He now says to Robert Scheer:
About Niger: “That was a big mistake..It should never have been in the speech”..I didn’t need Wilson to tell me that there wasn’t a Niger connection” He didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know”
Colin does need a Hummer* Indeed, he knew the truth all along and given his stature at the time, had he stepped forward, could have saved us from a war. But NO, his choice was to continue lying, aiding and abetting.
Recall his UN speech..about ‘solid sources, solid intelligence based on a decade of proof..’blah blah.
Colin has blood on his hands. And like BushCheneyRummy, a Pinochet’s fate awaits him, if not at the Hague’s ICC for war crimes.
* Hummer, otherwise known as a ‘peckerwagon’ coined here within the Daily News Bucket Diary pages by one of our own.
When Powell first retired from the Joint Cheifs, every option in the world was open to him including, I think, the presidency. He blew it. What he did is unforgivable. I used to think it was a shame he wasted all of his potential to do any good by hitching his fortunes to Bush. Now I think I’m just happy he’s been fully exposed for the sham he is.
You have plenty of company, Brenda. I’m not the sort to lionize military figures, so I haven’t experienced any let-down over Powell. If there were any real justice in this country, he would have been thrown in jail with all the other criminals involved in Iran Contra who are now running our country. After his invovlement both with & covering up that ‘little matter, his “Independent” stance always struck me as phoney & the sightof Democrats fawning over him was disgusting. “Nasty matters?” Speak out, girl! They’re called “WAR CRIMES.”
from a 1995 book-signing:
Many Americans suffer from a simliar amnesiac love affair with Wes Clark. Robert Parry & Norman Solomon’s series, Behind Colin Powell’s Legend has more than you probably want to know about the ‘good’ General.
Talkingheads like to defend Powell’s silence about the intelligence lies by telling us he’s the ‘good soldier,’ obeying his commander in chief. Well, as Secretary of State, his job isn’t to say “yes, Sir.” It’s a civlian position that requires giving the prez one’s best judgement.
He doesn’t get a pass today . . .
Making False Case for Iraq War a ‘Blot’ on Record
When Powell left the Bush administration in January 2005, he was widely seen as having been at odds with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney over foreign policy choices.
It was Powell who told the United Nations and the world that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and posed an imminent threat. He told Walters that he feels “terrible” about the claims he made in that now-infamous address — assertions that later proved to be false.
When asked if he feels it has tarnished his reputation, he said, “Of course it will. It’s a blot. I’m the one who presented it on behalf of the United States to the world, and [it] will always be a part of my record. It was painful. It’s painful now.”
Overheard in the Green Room at the UN just before Powell made his presentation:
GWB to CP: “Do what you have to do quickly.”
Colin Powell has a long history of covering up the truth. The series Arcturus notes is one I keep on file. Robert Parry and Norm Solomon do an excellent job of demonstrating how Powell works. Giving political cover to atrocities is one of his greatest skills. I recommend the entire series, but here’s a snippet.
I have all the highest regard for the big red A, known as the Americial. They are one of many I respect for their duty to America. I see you understand my words of Nasties done in my war time. Thank you for your writing here on this. I agree with the series delivered by Perry and Solomon. Great stuff! I mean no disrespect to any military personnel. I just have much disregard for Powell and it leaves me with a very nasty taste in my preverbal mouth. I think there is much to be said as to his adventures in our world that seek around and connive to do in others. The more I learn and see him maneuver, I see him as a snake in the grass. Like I said, boy was I wrong in my assessment of him, overall! To this I take my judgment in character as being quite poor and more! Then again, I hail from the medical corps not the line/staff of the regular army/marines/af/navy, that in and of itself is a different matter. But you all have to see that while serving on acitve duty, no one can speak out! that is the rule of the engagement, and that is why now so many retired officers are doing such. They eithre have to retire or become retired to do such a thing and it is till risky. YOu see they belong to a different club than most do. For this I bring a great applaud to them for doing what they are doing now, today. Thanks again for your comment.
Sad to say, but Colin Powell strikes me more as the Courtney Massengale type.
yet another editorial for this
Know the feeling. And, whatever you do, don’t beat yourself up over having been snookered.
The keboard is mightier than the sword.
You go girl!
McCain and Powell were both people I respected because I thought they were men of principle. We could debate the principle, I thought, but reasonable people could disagree and still respect one another.
When McCain caved in and became a Bush lackey after what the Bush campaign did to him in South Carolina in 2000, he revealed himself as “all too human” and as just another politician who equates getting elected to having a principle.
Powell lost me when he let the Bush snake oil sales force use him as the poster bitch for their war.
I had my doubts about McCain, but wanted to think Powell h ad better judgment than what he has had. Boy was I mistaken…
Powell’s betrayal is in many ways even worse than the insanity of the neocons, because he had the stature, (whether deserved or not, which is a whole other story); he had the stature to stand up and do the right thing and he chose not to. The neocons, by contrast, were less deceptive about their view that war was the likely option, and so they engendered little of the false hope that Powell stimulated.
The public would have listened to him if he had said he was resigning because the whole case for attacking Iraq was a sham and the people advancing it were lunatics. The public would have listened to him because he was so widely seen as the rational one, the voice of reason in the midst of all the drumbeating for war by the neocon maniacs and their surrogates in the media and congress.
When you get stabbed by an enemy, that’s one thing, when you get stabbed by someone you’ve been led to believe is a counterweight against the crazies and therefore a friend, that’s the cruelest form of betrayal there is.
Perhaps a more suitable name for Powell would be “Brutus”.
Exactly!!!! That was what I was looking for. He was the only one to go to the UN to deliver! The only one!..because of his credibility. Once he signed that “will do” “serving at the pleasure of the president” order in blood, he signed his life away as a brutus. He now has to live with this for ever and ever. HOwever, I do not think he really cares what ppl think of him now, with all the $$$ he is making
I think he cares, but I don’t think he cares enough to stand up and really do anything substantive about it.
His longdominant ambition has so deformed his psyche that I suspect he no longer knows how to “do the right thing”, let alone have the will to do it, and in the process seek genuine redemption for his abominable betrayal.
straight from your heart. He was a check on the system of insanity if he would have done what all senior officers have pledged and promised to do! He betrayed his personal integrity and he broke his vow to protect the Constitution and he broke with never asking his troops to do anything he wouldn’t do himself a 100 times over. Within the military he is considered the lowliest of the low……a boot licking dog. It is with a heavy heart that I also openly acknowledge this fact.
Thanks, Tracy. I know you know how I feel. It has come down to this, hasn’t it? Such a waste of a career and all those years of make-believe that he was doing what was good for his troops. He really had us snookered. I have sincerely lost all faith in my leadership in the military….by that I mean the ones who can make or break, even policy. There REALLY is no check and balance in anything anymore. We really have gone beyond the abyss in matters of our constitution and law and in life in general. Our government one day was there and the next day it was gone. While we all slept they did this to us….then, when we awakened to the sunrise of yet another beautiful day, it was gone….just simply gone. We have to fight this whole matter of independence all over again. I would never have believed in my lifetime this would ever have happened to America, of all places…I thought we really had the strength through our citizens to stop this from occurring. God help us all, for our demise is just around the corner. It won’t be long before we realize, we have all been snookered…Thanks, Tracy, for truly understanding in just one more way how I really feel. Hugs….
I do not know if this is the appropriate time to say “thanks” to each of you for your comments or not. All I can say, with absoluteness of all of my sadness, is that I really appreciate your honesty and sincerity to understand me, and how much I really have been heart broken over all of this. You will really never know! I had some amount of faith, that was thrown out the window as a whelm, and now I feel so let down. Even now with all the generals coming out to say their piece. It is rather late in this game to be saying things such as what they are saying. At least some of them had to know this was a war and a government built upon a sham and a lie. This government was stolen, for this very purpose. I try hard each and every day to think otherwise, but in logic, I can not, but, come back to this assessment. It is really very simple when one thinks of it such as this. One does not have to make things confused or complex to see the actual truth in this matter. If and when ever we do win back our credibility in the way we do govern our country, we must never ever let it slide by again while we are asleep. We must always be standing guard against the likes of the men and women who have really done such harm to us all and to the world. I wonder when and if those how will look at their DD-214 or their discharge sheath, will they be like us from the other mistake, and wonder how we all were so snookered into such a blatant mess. Will they even try to stop this madness from ever happening again? They have said this in the past, you know! NEVER AGAIN!!!
Again, I think each of you for your interest in my little plight in life, as to try to understand what the hell is really going on around me. This, is after all, why I am here in the first place. I really need help in understanding and then why of the matter and then how to combat it, to get to the end of matters. I really want to learn and then apply that knowledge. You see, the end does not really justify the means…This is what it really is all about,now isn’t it??!!…hugs to all…..