For a generation, Colin Powell has been the the Bush house nigger. He was the man the Bushes, father and son, loved to hold up to the World, proving they weren't the racist scumbags that everyone always suspected they were. First as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff for Poppi, during the first Gulf War, then as Secretary of State for the retard boy during the onslaught of the unilateral foreign wars of aggression against Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. He was never anything less than a brave and faithful servant to both of them, while carrying their water, even as foul as it no doubt was. After he left, he never gave revealing interviews or wrote tell all books. He does not criticize them now. He does not point out their mistakes or categorize their failings, no matter how well he is acquainted with them.
He talks of the need to bring better educational opportunities to America's youth. He talks of the need for America to reach out more effectively to our neighbors around the World. He says now, that he supports Barack Obama for President and calls him a transformational figure but says that it hasn't been a quick or easy decision. I think he gave valid reasons for the decision, though I am sure the Right Wing talking points will be all about his and Barack's mutual blackness, tomorrow.
In the less than four years since he left government service, Colin Powell has had a chance to gather the fruits of his lifetime of service to the nation. He sits on numerous corporate boards of directors. He is in demand as a highly paid speaker. He has had access to and the respect of, the movers and shakers in American society. He has made millions. This endorsement will be seen as a violation of trust. His life of privilege will be over. This endorsement insures it. It will also make him an outcast within the military circles in which he spent the majority of his life. It is quite a sacrifice to make. He will be back to where he was all those decades ago, when he began his military career, surrounded by overt racial hatred and the silent treatment. It is ironic that this endorsement, certainly one of the most courageous and honest of his life, will be largely symbolic. Those who he might have influenced have already decided. For those in support of Obama, it comes too late. McCain/Palin partisans will move away from Powell, not McCain. Maybe this will restore some of the pride and self respect, that Powell gave up all those years ago.
Things have changed less in America than most people think. Maybe now the real change will begin.
3 comments:
Charactizing a great man as a "house n***er" to the Bushes is distasteful. His superior character is measured by the very fact you bring up that he has not written a book or publicly criticized Bush. (Calling Bush a retard is in itself retardic, with everyone knowing he flew F-101 fighters - not an easy accomplishment, but I digress)
It won't be the right Wing who talks about his race - it will be the race obsessed Left. Why? Because its all about class empowerment/oppression, a communist principle. We Righties could not care less about race - it's character.
but to those of us on the Right, as it may surprise you to know, we always suspected Powells conservative leaning were very weak. therefore it's not surprising to us that he stepped over the aisle to endorse Barack. For a man as worldly and educated as he is, for the life of me I can't understand why he thinks more socialist government will fix our nation's problems. Perhaps politics, like love, is blind.
However, don't you find it suspicious that, as you point out, Powell, who's never spoken out for or against anybody before, now quite publicly endorses Obama? It seems to be out of character, don't you agree?
Remember the movie, "the Caine Mutiny"? Everybody ended up doing the wrong thing, for reasons they thought were right. All, that is, except for the character played by Fred MacMurray, who always had feet of clay, only willing to do what was right for him.
I think Colin is playing Fred's role in this. He is not a man of strong character. He places personal advancement above honesty, always.
I admire a man who can put aside personal ideology, in favor of the greatest good for the most people. I do not admire Colin Powell.
I never saw it, but good point.
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