General Discussion

TomSlick

(13,018 posts)

38. Of course.

Mon Oct 18, 2021, 10:26 PM

Oct 2021

The failure is when a mistake in believing the wrong people is all that is remembered. A man who lived the life of a public servant is a traitor, murderer, and war criminal because he was once conned by unscrupulous men.

Read the discussion above. There is no praise for years of service, for opening doors to people of color in the military, for bucking his party for the good of the country, etc. There is only condemnation.

DU can be a very harsh community. There are very few in the public arena whose history is pure enough to avoid having the good of them interred with their bones.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

73 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

I question the rush to condemn Gen Powell here. [View all] TomSlick Oct 2021 OP

That is good to hear but lie it was. LizBeth Oct 2021 #1

Sure, but it wasn't Powell's lie. TomSlick Oct 2021 #6

Agreed, At the time I thought the same. LizBeth Oct 2021 #21

There is no way he didn't know it was a lie berni_mccoy Oct 2021 #41

Please...then Powell was not godd at his job if he didn't know. Sorry, but I don't buy that. Escurumbele Oct 2021 #46

I am not here to pile on him but surely he knew what Cheney/Rummy/Bush knew, seems to me anyway. Eliot Rosewater Oct 2021 #2

The Secretary of State is a consumer of intelligence and not its creator. TomSlick Oct 2021 #3

He threw the briefing papers up in the air and called it bullshit. He knew. tblue37 Oct 2021 #7

"The Secretary of State has no REASON to question the core facts being presented"???? Really??? Escurumbele Oct 2021 #47

he wasn't, and he had State Department intel that said WMD were not there, yet chose to lie Celerity Oct 2021 #5

You may know something I do not. TomSlick Oct 2021 #9

I have seen it claimed at least 5 times on MSNBC, starting on Andrea Mitchell Celerity Oct 2021 #17

Thank you for all that Martin Eden Oct 2021 #22

I was 5 and 6 years old back then, living in London, & yet it took me 30 seconds just now to pull up Celerity Oct 2021 #28

Wow, the Downing Street memo...thanks for this. babylonsister Oct 2021 #39

Cheney, Rummy, and Bush always kept Powell out of the inner loop. He was used. Like a good soldier joetheman Oct 2021 #59

It's not a rush to condemn nor is it based on one episode of his career Doc Sportello Oct 2021 #4

It was obviously a dreadful career. TomSlick Oct 2021 #14

Its all politics, and they all cover each others backs... Escurumbele Oct 2021 #50

Thank you elleng Oct 2021 #8

Bull NoRethugFriends Oct 2021 #10

Ah yes. Sitting at home, I was sure it was a lie. TomSlick Oct 2021 #16

it really was not hard to figure out Skittles Oct 2021 #36

Yes and I doubt you were in those meetings too berni_mccoy Oct 2021 #45

Yep The Revolution Oct 2021 #72

Then why did I not believe it? El Supremo Oct 2021 #11

Correct, Hans Blix was also on TV pleading to believe what he knew, telling them there were NO WMDs Escurumbele Oct 2021 #53

"Hans Blix" is the thread winner Ponietz Oct 2021 #57

I can't see how that is possible stillcool Oct 2021 #12

Colin Powell: "I'm not reading this. This is bullshit." 2003 mia Oct 2021 #13

he knew, he fucking knew Skittles Oct 2021 #37

Binary thinking is easier and more comforting for too many people. Gen Powell Maru Kitteh Oct 2021 #15

the body count says otherwise nt msongs Oct 2021 #20

He was always a good face on bad shit unc70 Oct 2021 #18

"There was never any doubt expressed by the intelligence folks that there were WMD in Iraq." Martin Eden Oct 2021 #19

Of course the intel had been cooked upstream before getting to the customers. That's the point. TomSlick Oct 2021 #23

"Gen Powell was in a much superior position ... to see weaknesses in the intel." Martin Eden Oct 2021 #25

he scrubbed the reports to make them nicer then barfed it all up just the same. nice nt msongs Oct 2021 #26

By "cooked" I mean corrupted, distorted, deliberately misrepresented Martin Eden Oct 2021 #31

We mean the same thing by "cooked." TomSlick Oct 2021 #32

Powell deserves some opprobrium, but not military personnel who acted (and sacrificed) in good faith Martin Eden Oct 2021 #35

The hero had feet of clay. It's not unusual. And it's nothing personal on the hero's fans. marble falls Oct 2021 #24

I never bought it. There were so many instances Crunchy Frog Oct 2021 #27

Remember the Neocons and the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) mia Oct 2021 #29

Perfect. I was going to bring up the anti-American, wildly pro-Israel fanatics at..... EarnestPutz Oct 2021 #51

"Slam Dunk!" moondust Oct 2021 #30

Can condemnation and praise be justly applied to the same person? Martin Eden Oct 2021 #33

Of course. TomSlick Oct 2021 #38

I don't think Powell was conned Martin Eden Oct 2021 #44

"However, I think Bush/Cheney would have launched the invasion even if Powell..." I don't think so Escurumbele Oct 2021 #56

Powell had four options, and he chose the worst Martin Eden Oct 2021 #68

it was a all a fucking lie and THEY KNEW IT Skittles Oct 2021 #34

It's no rush. They pushed the lie for months. we can do it Oct 2021 #40

That is inaccurate, there were several people, including Hans Blix who was the UN weapons Escurumbele Oct 2021 #42

This post is full of falsehoods berni_mccoy Oct 2021 #43

It came out that he voted for Barack, yet remained a GOP adherent?🤔 sprinkleeninow Oct 2021 #48

He's getting it from both sides today IronLionZion Oct 2021 #49

A lifetime is not a rush. UTUSN Oct 2021 #52

Rush? DU has talked about the culpability of the entire Bush administration for 18 years Solly Mack Oct 2021 #54

Thank you MuseRider Oct 2021 #60

Hi, Muse! Solly Mack Oct 2021 #62

I remember that day so vividly. Demobrat Oct 2021 #55

He knew childfreebychoice Oct 2021 #58

No rush to condemn 48656c6c6f20 Oct 2021 #61

WMD was pure bullshit, Hans Blix and other UN weapons inspectors shared it all traitorsgalore Oct 2021 #63

um... bullshit. you were wrong once-- i think you're wrong again orleans Oct 2021 #64

Thank you for telling us your experience, Tom. Once again, all roads lead to Cheney & Rumsfeld... Hekate Oct 2021 #65

I appreciate the reasoned response. TomSlick Oct 2021 #69

If you haven't watched Bill Moyers' "Buying the War" misanthrope Oct 2021 #73

There's a link to Charles Pierce's musings here... Hekate Oct 2021 #66

Just the tip? Xoan Oct 2021 #67

The thing is UN 1441 was being actively enforced. joshcryer Oct 2021 #70

People LOVE to get the last word fescuerescue Oct 2021 #71