Colin Powell Can't Handle The Truth
They call instances of crisis or confrontation "moments of truth." That's assumedly because it is in such moments that a person's real feelings and true self come out from behind the ordinary mask of artifice that we all maintain to varying degrees.
It seems that the recent uproar over Congressman Jack "RETREEEEEAT!!!!!" Murtha and his demand for U.S. forces to flee Iraq immediately was one of those moments for ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell:
In that sense the historical figure Murtha most closely resembles is the Prussian King Frederick William I (1713-1740), who built what was at the time the best army in Europe but assiduously followed a strict policy of avoiding conflict. He loved having ranks and ranks of elite soldiers but was loathe to commit them to battle. Military might was for him a symbol, not a tool of either national ambition or national defense. America in the present day does not have that luxury, a fact Congressman Murtha and his fellow-travelers willfully deny.
Sure, hardly anybody today knows who Frederick William I was. Which was why Scott McClellan compared Murtha to Michael Moore instead. Is it an exact parallel? No; Moore is an obnoxious, corpulent traitor, not a decorated combat veteran. But Murtha's demands that we surrender to "Emir" Zarqawi sound a lot closer to Moore's sentiments than they do to those of U.S. commanders on the ground in Iraq, who are a helluva lot more optimistic and, yes, patriotic.
As to Colin Powell, the phrase, "Thou does protest too much" comes to mind. At best, he's lost proper perspective on Murtha and what his "great friend" believes and said. At worst, he shares Murtha's sentiments - very likely given Powell's own reluctance to use American military might in any kind of offensive capacity - and this chapter of the campaign to convert Operation Iraqi Freedom into "Vietnam v. 2.0" has brought his true, quasi-Bushophobic colors to the surface. Either that, or Powell somehow missed how both the President and Vice President went out of their way this past week to kiss Murtha's ass.
I wonder how avidly and publicly Powell will be embracing his "great friend" when - or, rather if - the log-rolling, up-to-the-armpits corruption in which Jack Murtha has allegedly been engaged reaches critical (i.e. criminal investigation-triggering) mass. Will he stand loyally by his crooked buddy, no longer know him, or accuse the White House of framing him?
If this public tantrum is any indication, I don't think I'm going to like the answer.
It seems that the recent uproar over Congressman Jack "RETREEEEEAT!!!!!" Murtha and his demand for U.S. forces to flee Iraq immediately was one of those moments for ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell:
An angry former Secretary of State Colin Powell is blasting the Bush White House for attacking Representative Jack Murtha, who undermined troop morale and encouraged al Qaida last week with his call for an immediate U.S. pullout from Iraq.Was a great patriot, perhaps. At some point in the moderately distant past. Cap'n Ed recounts Murtha's long history of promoting U.S. defeatism and retreat at the first sign of even token resistance to any ground-based deployment of American soldiers going back to at least 1993's "Blackhawk down" debacle that convinced both Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein (and doubtless other bad guys) that they could drive us before them at will. Morrissey describes Murtha's view of American military assets as, "supports the military as a defense unit, but not in any forward engagement that results in casualties."
"To attack him the way he was attacked, accusing him of being a Michael Moore, was disgraceful and was not worthy," a Powell told the New York Post's Deborah Orin, who described him as "livid."
"Jack Murtha is great friend of mine," Powell declared. "He's a great patriot."
In that sense the historical figure Murtha most closely resembles is the Prussian King Frederick William I (1713-1740), who built what was at the time the best army in Europe but assiduously followed a strict policy of avoiding conflict. He loved having ranks and ranks of elite soldiers but was loathe to commit them to battle. Military might was for him a symbol, not a tool of either national ambition or national defense. America in the present day does not have that luxury, a fact Congressman Murtha and his fellow-travelers willfully deny.
Sure, hardly anybody today knows who Frederick William I was. Which was why Scott McClellan compared Murtha to Michael Moore instead. Is it an exact parallel? No; Moore is an obnoxious, corpulent traitor, not a decorated combat veteran. But Murtha's demands that we surrender to "Emir" Zarqawi sound a lot closer to Moore's sentiments than they do to those of U.S. commanders on the ground in Iraq, who are a helluva lot more optimistic and, yes, patriotic.
As to Colin Powell, the phrase, "Thou does protest too much" comes to mind. At best, he's lost proper perspective on Murtha and what his "great friend" believes and said. At worst, he shares Murtha's sentiments - very likely given Powell's own reluctance to use American military might in any kind of offensive capacity - and this chapter of the campaign to convert Operation Iraqi Freedom into "Vietnam v. 2.0" has brought his true, quasi-Bushophobic colors to the surface. Either that, or Powell somehow missed how both the President and Vice President went out of their way this past week to kiss Murtha's ass.
I wonder how avidly and publicly Powell will be embracing his "great friend" when - or, rather if - the log-rolling, up-to-the-armpits corruption in which Jack Murtha has allegedly been engaged reaches critical (i.e. criminal investigation-triggering) mass. Will he stand loyally by his crooked buddy, no longer know him, or accuse the White House of framing him?
If this public tantrum is any indication, I don't think I'm going to like the answer.
posted by JASmius at 10:15 AM
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