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The Big Crunch
06 Oct 2006, 03:25 PM
I just finished reading the main story from last Sunday’s Washington Post Magazine on Colin Powell’s infamous U.N. speech and his final days as Secretary of State. Even though he doesn't figure in the story very much, it's a reminder that George Bush really is an idiot, and that Condi Rice is just troubling. How someone as unqualified for any major executive position as Dubya could get elected twice is just mind-boggling. The degree to which rationality and reality were hostily discouraged (and likely still are) in favor of selling the ideology and "staying on point" is just scary. It's kind've like reading the propoganda used to try and keep support up for Vietnam after it had clearly gone to hell, and you ask yourself, "certainly these guys didn't believe the crap they were telling the American people? Surely they knew they were lying, right?" But it seems like they really had drank the kool-aid themselves. Same story today. Such a tragedy.

The article is well worth reading; a candid and detailed look at how the speech was prepared with extensive interviews from Powell and others who were involved in drafting the speech and presenting the case on February 5, 2003. It also focuses in detail on Powell's dismissal from his position and the actual procedure he followed as he left office.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/27/AR2006092700106.html

akip
06 Oct 2006, 03:34 PM
i think this is the same kara de young article markalot posted in i forget which thread. yeah, it's a great piece.

drougan
06 Oct 2006, 03:39 PM
I'll have to read that... I know that issue is lurking about my apt somewhere. I've been meaning to but theres been about a billion things getting in the way.

ThomasC
06 Oct 2006, 04:11 PM
That's the longest article I've ever read - it took me 40 minutes to read it. Definitely worth it, and pisses me off even more.

markalot
06 Oct 2006, 04:22 PM
http://woxy.com/boards/showthread.php?t=41391

It was in this thread, titled Falling on his Sword. Kind of got lost in all the postings. That's why I tend to start new threads if I think its a must read, so yay for this thread.

locofly
06 Oct 2006, 05:46 PM
i'll have to read this as well, but we're a little too busy around here tonight. i got to talk with him for about 2 minutes back in 2000 when i was at miami. he was very impressive at the time, which was just before he signed onto bush's team. i was an undecided freshman at the time, and he laughed and said he was very much undecided about the future as well. it's sad that things happened as they did...