RIP - Colin Powell

[Brat]

Just heard it too myself. Complications from Covid, though fully vaccinated. Much to ponder.

He was immune-suppressed because of blood cancer.

Evidently, both he and his wife developed breakthrough Covid. She recovered, he could not.

Another reason to wear masks.

 

[harllee]

I always admired him. Covid is really making me mad.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

I always felt better knowing he had a voice in the room when weighty decisions were being made......however.....I'm unsure of his role in the lead up to the Iraq war. Esp looking backwards with no WMD. Duped is too strong a word but I felt like I could trust the decision if he was behind it.

RIP

He publically expressed regret for that. He made a big mistake, but he acknowledged it. A big man can admit his errors.

 

[kcowan]

True sadness from a Canadian here. You were very lucky to have had such a fine and capable human being. RIP!

 

[Golden sunsets]

A true patriot. RIP.

 

[stepford]

He publically expressed regret for that. He made a big mistake, but he acknowledged it. A big man can admit his errors.

It was his "Profiles in Courage" moment, and as fate would have it he played it out with the whole world watching. As I said earlier, I hope future generations will find the choices he made illuminating.

 

[rodi]

I had a lot of respect for him.

As for the multiple myeloma - my dad had that. It reduces your immune system. It's also commonly treated with thalidomide and dexamethasone. The steroid (dexamethazone) also suppresses the immune system, so a double suppression (the cancer and the steroid.). My dad died of complications from what started as a common cold - that turned to pneumonia, which turned septic. He was fine when we had dinner with him on Tuesday night, Wed morning had sniffles, in a coma on Thursday, and dead on Friday. So I was not surprised once I heard Colin Powell had multiple myeloma.

 

[friar1610]

An exceptional military officer, leader and public servant. The nation is better off for his service, worse off for his passing.

 

[travelover]

He was immune-suppressed because of blood cancer.

Evidently, both he and his wife developed breakthrough Covid. She recovered, he could not.

Another reason to wear masks.

Exactly. Someone infected him, fatally. Masks and vaccinations protect people like Colin Powell.

 

[NW-Bound]

I always felt better knowing he had a voice in the room when weighty decisions were being made......however.....I'm unsure of his role in the lead up to the Iraq war. Esp looking backwards with no WMD. Duped is too strong a word but I felt like I could trust the decision if he was behind it.

RIP

Powell later said he acted on the intelligence info he was given. He did not intentionally lie. Here are his own words on an interview with PBS Frontline.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/colin-powell-u-n-speech-was-a-great-intelligence-failure/

 

[ERD50]

Powell later said he acted on the intelligence info he was given. He did not intentionally lie. Here are his own words on an interview with PBS Frontline.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/colin-powell-u-n-speech-was-a-great-intelligence-failure/

My strongest memory of General Powell was the presentations he did on CNN during the Desert Storm. Regardless of politics or view of the war itself, he and Schwarzkopf just came across as supremely competent. I just remember being very impressed as they described these high tech laser guided weapons that could be guided directly into a specific window of a specific building.

Exactly. Someone infected him, fatally. Masks and vaccinations protect people like Colin Powell.

Seems rather harsh and misplaced. Before COVID, people with compromised health, like cancer, AIDS, heart failure, etc, often died from pneumonia, which is also transferred human to human. I don't recall anyone blaming others for those deaths.

-ERD50

 

[aaronc879]

I always felt better knowing he had a voice in the room when weighty decisions were being made......however.....I'm unsure of his role in the lead up to the Iraq war. Esp looking backwards with no WMD. Duped is too strong a word but I felt like I could trust the decision if he was behind it.

RIP

It is unfortunate that many will only remember the few mistakes he made in his career rather than the 30+ years of high level military service.

 

[harllee]

I just read in NY Times that Mr Powell was scheduled for his Covid booster 2 weeks ago but by then he was ill and could not take it.

I really feel for his wife. She was vaccinated and tested positive for Covid also but has not been very sick. I bet she wonders if she gave Covid to him and feels very guilty. I also have an immune compromised DH (fully vaccinated and has had booster) but I constantly worry that I will bring home the virus to him. Pre Covid I also worried I would give him other viruses--like colds, flu etc. But Covid is so much worse because it is more fatal.
If my DH got sick and died because of something I did the guilt and sorrow would be overwhelming.

 

[MichaelB]

The tributes to Colin Powell are heart warming. Why don’t we stick to that and set aside the Iraq and Covid editorial comments.

 

[frayne]

An exceptional military officer, leader and public servant. The nation is better off for his service, worse off for his passing.

+1 A soldier and a statesman.

 

[WestUniversity]

I didn’t entirely agree with him but he was a principled man and and a great statesman.

You always knew where he stood, unlike the politicians today that read the polls first thing in the morning to decide who they are going to be each day…

 

[NW-Bound]

You always knew where he stood, unlike the politicians today that read the polls first thing in the morning to decide who they are going to be each day…

I am reminded of this one-liner by Groucho Marx.

"Those are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others" -- Groucho Marx

 

[Koolau]

It will be a long while until someone of his calibre comes along. RIP General Powell.

 

[Markola]

I heard him speak once, and his leadership and charisma were entirely clear. I’ve also long wrestled with his UN speech. During the many tributes to him, I heard an author quote him, “They say I’m a reluctant warrior but, in the end, I’m a warrior.”

That quote at least helped me resolve the contradiction in who I wanted him to be versus who he actually was. RIP.

 

[2177V]

He reminded me of Abe Lincoln. Malice toward none.

 

[eytonxav]

I heard him speak once, and his leadership and charisma were entirely clear. I’ve also long wrestled with his UN speech. During the many tributes to him, I heard an author quote him, “They say I’m a reluctant warrior but, in the end, I’m a warrior.”

That quote at least helped me resolve the contradiction in who I wanted him to be versus who he actually was. RIP.

That quote does not sound like Powell, are you sure it wasn't: "They say I'm a warrior, but in the end I'm a reluctant warrior."

 

[clifp]

I heard him speak once, and his leadership and charisma were entirely clear. I’ve also long wrestled with his UN speech. During the many tributes to him, I heard an author quote him, “They say I’m a reluctant warrior but, in the end, I’m a warrior.”

That quote at least helped me resolve the contradiction in who I wanted him to be versus who he actually was. RIP.

I went to hear him speak at one of those inspirational speaking conferences. The organizers got their money's worth because I won't have gone without him. I got my money's worth because he was truly a remarkable speaker.

I remember during the 1st Gulf war, A reporter asked Intel's legendary CEO Andy Grove, (who I knew well). "Would you hire Colin Powell? Andy: No, but I'd happily work for him.

If you Google City College of New York Notable Alumni. Colin Powell is listed first, and Andy Grove is 2nd. It is an impressive list, Jonas Salk, Henry Kissenger, Supreme Court justice Felix Frankfurter, Woody Allen.

But what I find even more remarkable is that almost every notable alumni, is either an immigrant like Grove, or a child of an immigrant like Colin Powell.
It restore faith in the American dream.

 

[Gumby]

These appear to be his actual words in an unpublished interview with Time

You are Episcopalian. In the Old Testament, God tells King David that he cannot build the temple because “Thou has been a man of war and has shed blood.” Do you feel that having been a man of war has cut you off from—I’m not talking about job opportunities—but other opportunities? Would there have been a different Colin Powell if you had not gone into the ROTC?

See, I would characterize myself as a man of peace, who, when it becomes necessary to fight war, knows how to fight a war, and has a pretty good sense of how you are successful in a war. I had a debate with a former archbishop of Canterbury in early 2003, just before that war began in Iraq, and he asked me, ‘Why don’t we use soft power? Why do we always have to go to war? Why do we always use hard power?’ My answer to him was, ‘I agree with you. I always prefer soft power. I’m known as a reluctant warrior. But you know it wasn’t soft power that got rid of Hitler. It wasn’t soft power that saved the United Kingdom. It isn’t soft power that got rid of the Japanese imperial army and stopped that war finally.’

Source: https://time.com/6107966/colin-powell-time-interview/

 

[SecondAttempt]

I always felt better knowing he had a voice in the room when weighty decisions were being made......however.....I'm unsure of his role in the lead up to the Iraq war. Esp looking backwards with no WMD. Duped is too strong a word but I felt like I could trust the decision if he was behind it.

RIP

"Used" might be better than "duped."

My mentor in business development was one of Colin Powell's direct reports in the White House back in the 80s when he was national security advisor. This is a man (my mentor) who had stints as vice president at several major defense/national security companies including Boeing, Lockheed, SAIC, and a few others. He said Powell was probably the best leader he had come across in his entire career!

 

[Closet_Gamer]

A real loss on so many levels. I saw him speak once and it was exceptional. Definitely one of the best public speakers I've ever seen. Funny. Humble. Experienced. Landed big messages gracefully.

His book should be required reading in high school and again in any situation looking to develop leaders. I read it ages ago and words/lessons from it still stick with me.

One of the "adults" has left the field. We're the poorer for it.