# Colin Powell has died **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 18, 2021, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-has-died/952685 "2021-10-18T12:26:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-has-died/952685/41 "2021-10-20T19:01:36Z")
How can he not see how “small” this makes him look? Geez oh Pete, he makes me ill. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-has-died/952685/42 "2021-10-20T20:46:42Z")
No, he cannot. Quite literally, he cannot. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-has-died/952685/43 "2021-10-20T21:05:55Z")
You’re not the audience. To Trump’s audience, Colin Powell was a "corrupt insider”, a Black person and a person who put country before party (iow a traitor). ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2021, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-has-died/952685/44 "2021-10-20T21:23:50Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > He “solved the problem” in that he put together probably the best case possible for the invasion. But couldn’t or wouldn’t take that one step back to ask whether that was a problem that he _should_ be solving. Both of these are an occupational hazard of military thinking. Questioning your objectives, while mildly permissible, is still not SOP. Generally, you don’t ask why or if, unless there are very obvious and very likely negative outcomes. Not even collateral damage and unintended consequences really figure into the go/no-go calculus. And, one of the cultural lessons I observed in the course of my military career is the aphorism “it’s better to be decisive than right.” There is no tolerance for getting analysis paralysis. Decide now on the basis of the best available information and then **go**. ---
**Author:** ![lum\_s\_husband](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lum_s_husband/32/3698_2.png) [@lum\_s\_husband](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lum_s_husband)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-has-died/952685/45 "2021-10-21T00:13:46Z")
He solved the problem of too many living Iraqis. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-has-died/952685/46 "2021-10-21T00:33:19Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Questioning your objectives, while mildly permissible, is still not SOP. Generally, you don’t ask why or if, unless there are very obvious and very likely negative outcomes. Not even collateral damage and unintended consequences really figure into the go/no-go calculus. No, privately you don’t ask why or if. Maybe even corporally, sergeantly, or lieutenantly. But generally, it’s your job to ask questions like that. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-has-died/952685/47 "2021-10-21T00:36:55Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > But generally, it’s your job to ask questions like Even majorly it’s your job. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-has-died/952685/48 "2021-10-21T00:46:15Z")
What’s even sadder than Trump’s disgusting remarks is how inured we’ve become to them. It hardly makes news. It’ll hardly change anyone’s opinions either way - those who love Trump will still love him; those who hate him may hate him a bit more. The apathetic will remain so. I’ll repeat what I’ve said before: we have a values problem in this country. _“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”_ – Ben Franklin ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-has-died/952685/49 "2021-10-21T00:59:33Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > > [@flurb](#): > > > > Just a reminder that 74 million Americans thought this man fit to be our President. > > > [@OttoDaFe](#): > > > > Most of whom still do.- > > In fact, they think he still **is**. **[Definitely some do.](https://www.cnn.com/videos/media/2021/10/20/iowa-trump-supporter-trump-in-charge-daily-show-sot-newday-vpx.cnn)**🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2021, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-has-died/952685/50 "2021-10-21T18:46:24Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > What’s even sadder than Trump’s disgusting remarks is how inured we’ve become to them. It hardly makes news. It’ll hardly change anyone’s opinions either way - those who love Trump will still love him; those who hate him may hate him a bit more. The apathetic will remain so… Yes, “Trump says [something horrible and scummy]” could have been the top headline just about every day for the past five years. Each new outrage drives out the last, and yet the world keeps on spinning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-has-died/952685.md?page=2)