I am not a big fan of Colin Powell. To me, he is just another general, who happened to be the Joint Chief of Staff during a war and thus became famous. But he is one of the first Blacks to reach the top level of government. He could be a role model for any kid, white or black or green. Yet, I hear only negatives from other prominent Blacks about him. Today Al Sharpton said that “he does not represent American Blacks”. Al Sharpton must be confused. American Secretary of State does not represent ANYBODY, he is a government bureaucrat. He himself represents the foreign policy of the U.S.A., all its people, Blacks included. Blacks (or anyone else) do not have a separate foreign policy. The other day I heard a white liberal saying “Colin Powell is not Black. I am blacker than him”. Does it mean that the white liberals want to have Blacks as rappers and basketball players? Colin Powell, for sure, is not Martin Luther King, Jr., but cocaine addict Daryl Strawberry is better known. Why is that? And simply by reaching higher, does not he deserve better? Who knows the answer?
I suspect this might be more of a Great Debate. The local left-wing radio commentator Bernie Ward actually called Colin Powell an “Uncle Tom”. This was because Powell has given speeches to the Republican conventions in which he says things like “This country needs Affirmative Action”, even though the Republicans are generally against it and in the words of Ward “laughed at him.”
I guess Ward’s point is that if you say to a group of people “I believe in X, and you should too,” and they continue to not believe in X, you should not support them. I suspect this would be the reasoning behind criticism of Powell from other African-American figures.
I suppose it is possible that other issues may be more important to Powell, causing him to cast his lot in with Bush & Cheney.
Well, as I said, I am not C.Powell’s fan, do not follow him closely and did not know about his speech in detail. I do not mind moving this thread elsewhere (although I do not make decisions here), I just do not know how to move it gracefully.
Peace
Al Sharpton is also a complete idiot, drooling super-liberal without a drop of common sense. He doesn’t like Collin Powell because he’s a republican. And, though I am not black, from discussing politics with many of the black people I know, I would NOT, under any circumstances, trust Al Sharpton to accurately represent the views of black people in America. I don’t really know anything about Mr. Powell, though, so I can’t offer my opinion. Most Secretaries of State are not politicians, they’re usually people who have worked their way up in the State Department or Ambassador’s Corps (actually, I guess the OC is part of the State Department) or are really good friends with the Prex. And that’s fine with me. SoS is not a political position, as such, it’s an administrative one.
Powell is a loser. His political infighting with Madelene Albright and General Schwartzkopf was one of the major reasons why we lost the Gulf War. Powell argued we should stop before we beat Sadam, so we did. What a loser.
I think Powell will be a perfect SoS for His Fraudulency Geo. W. Bush. I give Powell a six month honeymoon, followed by about 2 years of bitter infighting with Bush before he is fired or resigns.
Uhh, if you didn’t know it, Ms. Albright wasn’t SoS during the Gulf War, that was James Baker.
Guys, mods! I am impressed with you knowledge,espescially Chas’s expertise, but C. Powell’s policies are besides my question. He became a four star general, etc., the first and the only one. A Black, an immigrant’s son. It looks that I, non-Black, is more proud of him than millions of Blacks. Guys like him do not come along every day, even not every week. And he does not look like Uncle Tom to me. He gave commands to other people, including Whites, if it matters. What gives? Any Blacks here in the know"
Albright and Powell bumped over the Balkans.
From http://www.truthinmedia.org/Kosovo/War/day55.HTML
and paraphrased in Powell’s book: “It was early in Clinton’s first term, back when she was U.N. ambassador during the first showdown with Serbia over Bosnia, that Albright showed her stripes on foreign policy. At a 1993 meeting with Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell–who gave his name to the doctrine that the military should be used only after a clear political goal has been set, and then only with decisive force–she challenged the general: ‘What’s the point of having this superb military that you’re always talking about if we can’t use it’?”
Prediction: Powell wins approval as SoS by acclamation, finds diplomats don’t react to orders as readily as do generals, spends a lot of time on one-on-ones, rest of State goes to hell. Why in the world would he and Bush ever resort to ‘bitter infighting’? He’s one of the guys put there to prop Bush up.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is the best choice for Secretary of State.
Sharpton isn’t liberal by any stretch of the imgination. He isn’t really even racist, particularly. He is a glory hound who likes to see his name in the paper and tries to play the “race card” at every opportunity, claiming to be defending blacks against white aggression. He has no genuine goals or standards, and, certainly no morals. He just wants to be thought of as powerful.
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Prediction: Powell wins approval as SoS by acclamation, finds diplomats don’t react to orders as readily as do generals, spends a lot of time on one-on-ones, rest of State goes to hell.
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You could be right. However, George C. Marshall was an outstanding SoC and his background was pure military. There is a lot more politicking in the military than outsiders might expect, so if Powell made it to the top, he is probably a decent player of politics within the groups of the powerful.
Didn’t Powell participate in the Mi Ley (how do you spell it) cover up? The whole, “we had to destroy the village in order to save it?” in Vietnam?
I didn’t say she was, although Powell also fought with Baker. Albright was Ambassador to the UN at the time, and was responsible for keeping the coalition together.
Just watched the rerun of the Larry King Live from about a year ago with Powell on it. There was a question on My Lai, where he said he’d heard reports and didn’t believe them after not being able to find any evidence. Then he later learned that My Lai was that destroyed village.
This is what he said on LKL, anyway.
The answer regarding Sharpton v Powell is easy to understand. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and many other “leaders” of the Af/Am community survive by creating division in America. If there is no injustice, there is no reason to march, get on tv, or raise money. Sharpton sees Powell as his “anti-Christ”, or to use a more familiar term “Uncle Tom”. Powell shines as an example of what is possible if you work hard, play by the rules, and never view yourself as a helpless victim. Powell proves that it is possible to make it in a “white man’s world” and they hate it.
Now that doesn’t mean I’m a huge fan of Powell, either. His silence the last four years has been deafening. Where has the leadership been? Of all the possible role models out there why hasn’t he been one, or at least a more visible one. While I will cut him a little slack for not being a true public figure, I don’t see him embracing the “greatness that is thrust upon him”. I hope he does eventually, joins Bush as VP in 2004 and then becomes Pres in 2008.
As for Powell v Albright two words: Viet Nam. 'nuff said.
Colin Powell, along with Condaleeza Rice as National Security Advisor, will be the highest ranking African Americans in history.
The bashing of Powell by blacks show that they aren’t really interested in black achievement, but political power. It’s not the NAACP, it’s the NAALCP, National Organization for the Advancement of Liberal Colored People.
Besides, Powell is a liberal Republican. He’s pro choice and supports Affirmative Action.
Sharpton, Jackson, et al, are upset that when Black History month comes along, Powell will have to get a lot of play and they don’t like it because then they would have to give credit to a Republican.
Much like if Elizabeth Dole were the first female President. That would tear NOW’s insides to pieces.
I think it’s worthwhile to point out that the U.S. also won the Gulf War. 
Hey, Chas.E
No, she was not ambassador to the UN then; she didn’t become UN ambassador until two years after the Gulf War ended. It’s doubtful Colin Powell said one single word to Madeleine Albright during the Gulf War, seeing as how Albright was not even working for the government then, so I doubt your claim that they were involved in “infighting.” Albright had nothing to do with the Gulf War. I’m becoming a little skeptical of your position on this matter.
Thank you, James. First comment about my question. I think, you are right. I think, there is more to it, in more than one sense. Al Sharpton & Co. are in bed here with all White leberals: what would they do if ALL Blacks become more like Gen. Powell? So, to keep Blacks to play jazz and sports is in their best interests: then they have their raison-d’etre (pardon my French). They do similar things all the time…
Another thing is more significant (or less theatrical): C. Powell could have been more active. Perhaps, there are reasons. Perhaps, the man is shy and is reluctant to say: “Look, kids, I did not do drugs, worked hard and …” Or his wife has too much influence, I do not know…I do know that he is not liked not because of Albright or My Lai.
Perhaps, we do not hear much from him for the same reason we do not hear from our Black co-SDopers…
Powell’s silence is deafening on things that are really not terribly objectionable, to wit: a rational stance to take re our recent Florida election debacle would be to point out that maybe those old voting machines should be replaced by something more modern, like the optical scanners that worked so well in some of the less controversial Florida counties? This is not exactly a radical thing to say at this point, (Congressman Scarborough, R-Fl, pointed out the same thing on TV a couple of days ago) and it would be relevant to the thousands of blacks who were disproportionately affected by the use of outmoded technology down there.
That he says nothing about an issue that is, at this moment, red-hot among politically active blacks says a lot about his character, or rather, his lack thereof.
I guess it’s a matter of opinion, but this US citizen would rather not have SecState (or soon-to-be) making lots of noise about domestic affairs. I want to see him focus on his job, and not going around making proclamations about affairs that are properly handled by other people. Yes, he’s a major public figure, but his job now is to handle foreign policy, because that’s his area of expertise.
[[Now that doesn’t mean I’m a huge fan of Powell, either. His silence the last four years has been deafening. Where has the leadership been? Of all the possible role models out there why hasn’t he been one, or at least a more visible one. While I will cut him a little slack for not being a true public figure, I don’t see him embracing the “greatness that is thrust upon him”. I hope he does eventually, joins Bush as VP in 2004 and then becomes Pres in 2008.]]
If he lacks leadership, hasn’t been a good role model and you don’t see him embracing greatness, why would you support him being president of the United States?