Holbrooke's last words: joke or final plea for redemption?

[Capitalocracy]

What do you think? Which narrative do you think is true?

[sasha031]

1. I think when people are at the end

they have a new and different understanding that they didn't possess prior.
I am sure you have heard of NDE whereas a person comes back enlightened and changes their whole life around.

I don''t believe for one minute it was a joke.

[EFerrari]

3. Did he think he was going to die or that he was going to have surgery?

I tend to think it's the kind of thing you say when you're scared and trying to blow it off a little with humor.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. An aortic tear has an 80% mortality rate

He was most likely told this, as the medical system is required to in the US.

[Posteritatis]

14. And isn't that rate when you're *already in the hospital* when it happens? (nt)

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. It is a little lower when it happens in hospital

A way to understand it is a zipper unzipping.

[Name removed]

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[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Dying people don't joke

and lord knows I have heard more than just a few people make final statements.

[Alameda]

6. or people who think they are close to dying. It has a very sobering effect.

[provis99]

7. hmm. A plea, or as the shits in State say, a joke.

http://www.greensboro-nc.com/news/article/obama-admin-downplays-holbrooks-last-words-on-afghanistan

I'm going with plea and revelation rather than with the shits at the State Department.

[Warpy]

12. So am I. While I've heard a few jokes cracked close to the end,

when people really feel themselves going down and starting to lose consciousness, they are deadly serious.

I think he was deadly serious. As last words go, they were good ones.

[Capitalocracy]

13. It seems obvious to me that he knew he could die

Does that mean he wouldn't joke? Not necessarily... hell, it's even possible that he said it in a way that it COULD be taken as a joke just in case he didn't die, so he wouldn't get in trouble at work...

I don't know, the whole thing's fishy. If they're really trying to spin the last words of a man who worked with them and whose dying wish is an attempt at redemption after a questionable diplomatic career, and make his call for peace sound like a joke, I find it frankly disgusting.

[moondust]

8. Ask the medical team that was there. n/t

[the redcoat]

9. I'm still sad that

he died when he did. I can't even imagine the amount of information he knew and could have written about and changed the world with if he had more time.

[Rhiannon12866]

15. +1000...

I agree. He is irreplaceable... ;(

[Forkboy]

10. No idea.

I can totally see my last words being a gag. I can also totally see my last words being , "What the fuck, you stupid fuckers!" which wouldn't be a gag at all.

[hulka38]

17. Apparently the surgeon may have botched the surgery

because he kept cracking up during the procedure - the joke about stopping the war in Afghanistan. 100% joke. No foreboding underlying truth to it at all. I urge everyone to blow it off. The Obama administration says we're making great progress against our enemies.

[Rex]

18. Doesn't matter, the whole thing was made political when he said

some 'bad words' that people in charge don't like to hear. They in turn, made sure to dilude the message with it being an offhand remark to blow of some tension. Now, no matter what he meant 'mission accomplished'.