so it turns out in the end that Powell is nothing but a coward

[still_one]

It took powell's right hand mand to speak out. I have no doubt that if this were Nuremberg Powell could proudly say he was only following orders

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/19/AR2005101902246_pf.html

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. Powell sold his soul to the devil.

[afdip]

3. powell sold his soul to the devil in vietnam

and has been receiving installment payments ever since.

[blm]

6. Bingo.....he worked to cover up My Lai fer chrissakes.

Then, when Kerry and Moakley exposed the illegal wars in Central America, Powell worked to cover up that, too, and spread lies to the press as if Kerry and Moakley were conspiracy theorists.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. I think he fought hard behind the scenes

(I am really just guessing) but the nature of politics is you are a team player or you are off the team. And he jumped ship.

[still_one]

7. and assuming you are right

now that he is out, he still does NOT do the right thing for the country

[TallahasseeGrannie]

13. No, I agree. He should talk now.

[HereSince1628]

4. I am not a Powell fan. His history isn't without other similar tales.

As others have said of him, he is America's most loyal soldier. But loyal to what? His Boss? His Image? He certainly is not like superman loyal to truth, justice and the American way.

[txaslftist]

5. Apparently he is not new to the sellout game.

[radwriter0555]

8. Wow, what a great article and what a good man... Wilkerson MIGHT be

the first honorable republican I've ever heard of...

Mark this day in history.

[still_one]

9. those were my very thoughts

[Bonhomme Richard]

10. Another member of "The No Spine Zone" n/t

[theHandpuppet]

11. Powell took an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States...

... and not to serve as an apologist for the Presidency! He has violated that oath by defending a lying, corrupt executive branch and in doing so has betrayed that higher obligation to defend his nation from enemies "both foreign AND DOMESTIC". He could have stood up and spoken out, but failed to do so. To my mind he is just as much a traitor to the American people as the vile cabal actually running the Bushreich.

Sorry, Colin, but any shred of dignity and honor you may have once had you willingly squandered by tossing your lot in with the Bushreich. Perhaps now you realize that the cronyism of Bush and Cheney's inner circle really DIDN'T include you, you fool. Too late, General -- no tears for you. Your hands are stained with the blood of thousands.

[lpbk2713]

12. ** Recommended reading **

This article from an insider's viewpoint pretty much sums up what I have suspected all along about the BushCo cast of characters.


Wilkerson blamed Bush, "not versed in international relations and not too much interested," for letting the Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal to take over. He blamed Rice for dropping her role as honest broker to "build her intimacy with the president." And he blamed whoever gave (former defense undersecretary) Feith "carte blanche to tell the State Department to go screw itself."


Just consider the level of frustration it took for a high ranking career military man to come forward and make a statement like this.

[dmr]

14. What saddens me

is that it had to take a political climate change to bring information like this public. I think I understand it, but nonetheless it frustrates me.

The colonel said his old boss is not pleased with his decision to go public with his criticism. Powell, he said, "is the world's most loyal soldier." Wilkerson said he admired that, but he took a different view of loyalty: not to the administration, but to the country.

A year ago, the White House would have sent out the word to relentlessly discredit Wilkerson in the worse way.

[babso1]

15. The problem with Powell

is that, after becoming a politician, he is still thinking like a soldier to whom loyalty to the CiC is non-negotiable. That is why he can never be a successful politician.

[charlie]

16. Correction

Loyalty to the Bush family, not the CinC. Shortly after the '92 election, he gave a speech and advised officers to resign their commissions if Clinton went through with his gays in the military pledge. That's insubordination. Clinton should've fired his ass when he took office.

[newyawker99]

17. Hi babso1!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[tabasco]

18. Powell was an ass-kisser his entire military career.

His political career was the same.

Notable accomplishments:
1. As a military investigator, could not find evidence of war crimes in Vietnam, much to the delight of his bosses.
2. When Chairman of JCS, refused to send mech forces to Somalia (another Bush fuck up) when requested by the task force commander. Result: no mech force to extract the ambushed Rangers and many dead Americans. Much to the delight of republicans who blamed the whole thing on Clinton.
3. As SecState, lied to the assembled United Nations about "tons" of chemical weapons and other WMD. Helped the corporate cabal start a new war for profiteering. Much to the delight of Dick Cheney, whose payments from Halliburton have soared since the war began.

Why did any rational person ever respect this man? :shrug: