RIP Gen. Colin Powell

Breaking on CNN. Dies at 84 of covid complications.

 

The definition of a tarnished legacy.
Lie After Lie: What Colin Powell Knew About Iraq 15 Years Ago and What He Told the U.N.

 

My first thought. What might have been had he not swallowed the Shrub's line of thinking on Iraq.

 

Recently read Karen DeYoung's bio of him. RIP.

 

Definitely some mixed feelings here. He was somebody I admired for being a straight shooter and for his accomplishments, but he undid a lot by not standing stronger in '03 against Cheney and Rumsfeld. Kinda had to give him credit for staying mostly out of the public eye in recent years and not doubling down on the lies, counter to the typical modern GOP playbook. RIP.

 

Lying liars and the lies they tell.

 

It's truly a dark moment in what was an exemplary life. I won't minimize the presence and the impact he had during his service in the military and the overall efforts of his work in politics to a bad time when unfortunately a lot of people drank the Kool-Aid. He said it was something he regretted and unlike the others that went along with the plan I tend to believe him. I think he generally wanted to do the right things and he had to live with the result that, in that moment, he failed himself and he failed a country he served with honor for many years. Given that he was often the figure of credibility for that administration, I believe he carried that regret with him to his death, unlike the others.

That being said his endorsement of Obama in 2008 probably wasn't as impactful as it should have been because by then it appeared clear that Obama was going to win that election substantially, but it was big deal for Powell to make that statement and go against a military brethren.

 

Now for the other downside of this.

The anti-vaxxers have a new weapon in their fight against sanity.

 

Is this not the first major 'character' from this saga to die?

 

Rumsfeld slinked off this mortal coil back in June.