August 15, 2008
Dear Colin,
You have said you regret the “blot” on your record caused by your parroting spurious intelligence at the U.N. to justify war on Iraq. On the chance you may not have noticed, I write to point out that you now have a unique opportunity to do some rehab on your reputation.
10 comments:
Dear Colin Powell,I have long heard of your courage to tell the hard truths in the face of opposition. Our country needs a true patriot to come forward with information regarding the lies told,to take America into this hell we now live in.Information was at hand to prevent this invasion of a sovereign country and it was not just ignored,it was manipulated to show the results sought by the Bush administration. Why would you keep this information from us?We already know what happened,all that is needed is your courage to affirm the lies. Please,if you were duped along with the rest of us come forward and tell what you know.If you were complicit,you need to redeem yourself with the truth,before the war crimes start.
Please Mr. Powell, come forward and tell the truth, so none of these would happen again. No one would have the courage to lie and wage unnecessary war. As Mr. McGovern puts it:"think about it."
Mr. Powell, the majority of the American public viewed you as a dignified respectable hero. A true hero is not only a person who physically endangers their life for the good of others but rather is a person who is able to tell the truth when they understand their words will have negative consequences for others. This is not a case of who stole the teacher's eraser. People lied and people died and are continuing to die. More importantly, now is the time where the American people need to start rebuilding trust in the officials they elect to lead us through the muddy waters of global issues. Allowing the world to see that no one is above the law shows how seriously we are committed. It is a farce for us to tell other countries what to do when we allow the highest officials a pass on criminal behavior. Telling the truth now will affirm that you are the respectable hero most people perceived you to be. Now it's time for you to do the heroic thing and step up to the microphone and help us restore respect, dignity, and trust in our government. Only then will we begin to rebuild the respect and dignity we had before we allowed liars, cheats, and thieves to inhabit the most important house in the world. Help us help ourselves dig out of this mess so this country has a future that all Americans will be proud of.
Sycophancy is inherent in every military officer who gets stars...and it's not a racial thing, but part of the military culture. No one can deny Colin Powell's intelligence, competence in a variety of government jobs, and exceptional accomplishments in a career of service to our nation. His rapid rise to the highest levels of our Defense establishment is obvious evidence of considerable skill at bureaucratic politics. And his subsequent appearance in a Republican cabinet attests to his skill in navigating party politics. Many were taken in by Colin Powell's UN speech, which was slyly phrased to give an impression of a strong case, but lacked incontrovertible facts and omitted the intelligence caveats that he must have learned during his intense preparation for his performance. Keeping his job as Sec'y of State (perhaps staying in the Administration to temper it rather than oppose from without its reckless policies?) prevailed over keeping the US on an honorable course in world affairs. A realistic appraisal of Iraq's threat to the US would have destroyed the Administration's case for aggression...would GWB then have had the will to fire him? Powell missed his chance to "do the right thing" and prevent this disastrous expenditure of life and treasure. At best, Powell let his loyalty to GWB outweigh his integrity and his loyalty to his country. At worst, he's a craven suck-up with blood on his hands.
i don't agree with david. mr. powell, please come forward and help the honorable john conyers and our nation. tell us what you knew or did not know.
Ray, great article. I to had great respect and admiration for Colin Powell at one time. After that infamous day at the United Nations I lost all respect for the man.
I sat and watched with disbelief that a man with great intelligence and exceptional career accomplishments could lie on the world stage.
Tell the truth Mr.Powell!
Ray McGovern: Great letter. Collin Powell was just a performing monkey in stars. He knew what he was saying were lies and said them to further the agenda of the Bush administration and his own personal carreer. yes he has blood on his hands and he will die silent with a disgraced name, a broken man.
What are the odds that Mr Powell will decide to appear before Representative Conyer's House Judiciary Committee and make a clean breast of his part in the Bush/Cheney administration's wheeling and dealing in the run-up to the US invasion of Iraq ? Only slightly less good than those pertaining to a snowball in one of the warmer circles of Dante's Inferno....
Henri
After reading about the REAL powell from great Robert Parry and a little google work , you can come to only one conclusion . He was a complicit and highly rewarded tool for the military Industrial Complex . Forget about the manufactured image , by the MSM , hell Kissenger is still regarded as a respectably figure in American history , when he should have been in an orange jump suit, long ago .
Expecting Powell to do a mea culpa now, is like expecting a carnivore to eat a salad , it aint going to happen . Besides many people would be going to PRISON .
From Vietnam massacre cover up , to being involved in the Arms for Hostages deal, (ya he was neck deep involved) with Casper W. , to directing the illegal invasion of panama and killing of thousands of civilians, he hasn't seen a country of Brown people that he didn't mind attacking .
Powell is just as despicable and phony as any in the military industrial complex and the NEOCONS that followed .
Kahoneez
Ray,
Thank you for your unique and thoroughly valid questions to your contemporary. You have summarized the points in a way that should shame any decent human being into responding honestly to you. Sadly, decency has not been a part of this regime's ideology. If I were in Powell's shoes, I cannot imagine living with my knowledge, the consequences of which have done and continue to do so much harm to so many millions with absolutely no accountability. That spot/blot will likely grow. Ray, if I had 3 wishes, the first one would be to put your sense of outrage, fairness, and Bronx-smarts in to John Conyers. I'd save the other two for the resulting exorcisms that we so desperately need.
Thanks again. Oh, and thanks for calling out Rumsfeld.
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