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Colin Powell, it’s time to speak now or forever hold your peace.
You decried the way that “the sons of the powerful and well placed…managed to wangle slots into Reserve and Guard Units"[1] and then you went on to serve one of these sons as his Secretary of State.
You criticized the LBJ administrations prosecution of the Vietnam War with “Back home, the administration was trying to conduct the war with as little inconvenience to the country as possible…. Taxes to finance the war had not been raised. Better-off kids beat the draft with college deferments."[2] And now you sit silently while the Bush administration does the same.
You said of the downing of the KAL 007 flight: “Don’t be stampeded by first reports, Don’t let your judgments run ahead of your facts. And, even with supposed facts in hand, question them if they do not add up. Something deeper and wiser than bits of data inform our instincts. I also learned that it is best to get the facts out as soon as possible, even when new facts contradict the old. Untidy truth is better than smooth lies…."[3] But you told the world that we knew of WMD’s in Iraq. Perhaps you were misinformed by the intelligence briefings but you also wrote: “The lesson about experts had been reaffirmed. Don’t be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their backyard. Just as important, never neglect details, even to the point of being a pest."[4]
“If I never have to parachute again, that will be fine with me, yet there was never any doubt in my mind that I would do what had to be done."[5] Well Mr. Powell, it’s time to do what has to be done. You have a chance to make a difference today, this week, “Stuff happens. And a leader’s just got to start all over again."[6] So start over. If you have truth to speak, speak it now, before another day of Bush Administration's deception so it can make a difference. You’ve had plenty to say, after the fact, about Vietnam and other world events, but saving the truth for My American Journey Part II isn’t good enough. You owe the soldiers, those you helped place in harms way, the untidy truth. Today.
[1] Colin Powell, My American Journey, Ballantine Books, 1995, p 144
» left by Gracie (1 year 234 days ago.)
I would like to hear Colin Powell's thoughts on many topics of today. He is well known and highly respected and I hadn't thought about the silence until I read your article. Thanks for calling attention to it. Respond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (1 year 234 days ago.)
Why haven't the any of the news outlets asked this? Respond to this comment
» left by James P Krehbiel(1,375) James P Krehbiel (1 year 233 days ago.)
John,
You ask a very valid question. However, I would probably be hiding if I were in his shoes!There really is nothing that he could say that would make a difference at this point. He must be experiencing alot of internal conflict about his behavior in the Bush Administration. But acknowledging the errors of our ways can be cathartic. Nice job. Respond to this comment
» left by John (1 year 233 days ago.)
Good points, he needs to speak out now. Respond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (1 year 233 days ago.)
I don't know about the news outlets or Jon Stewart but I can't figure out why the progressive talkers don't pursue this. They're like Powell. Powell will wait and write it in his memoirs (when it's useless to us) and the talk show guys will react but they won't be proactive and try to pry the answers out of an obviously key player. They just regurgitate well.
» left by Avis Ward(11,454) Avis Ward (1 year 232 days ago.)
Ronald, a very good article. If I must choose a position, I'd side with Colin Powell. I'd remain silent. Didn't he retire? Perhaps not the best comparison but I'd pull a Johnny Carson if I were he or anyone in politics after leaving. Obviously that would be most difficult for a former President. Respond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (1 year 231 days ago.)
This article has very good grammar! Respond to this comment
How can you begin to critisize someone without standing in their shoes?!? Tell me anyone else that has had the courage to do what he has done... and what did he gain for it? Colin Powell stood up to as much as he possibly could, and finally got fed up with it all and all of us. How much can you stand up to your own administration before your very life becomes in danger? It's not Colin Powell to blame but all of us as Americans that have let our government be run by spineless politicians instead of great leaders.
The man is a hypocrite. If he stood up to the Bush Administration, as you fantasize, and got fed up with it, then he can easily write an op-ed piece that tells the truth.
He can confirm what many of the Bush critics have written (Scott McClellan, Paul O'Neill, Bob Woodward, Ron Suskind to name a few recent ones) about the crimes committed by the Bush Administration.
Read his autobiography, thoughout it he has lots of criticism to offer long after the fact but he has nothing to say now before the election when it might make a difference.
He put the men and women of our military in harms way and now sits silently. He's easy to criticize.
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