Colin Powell: Selling Out to a Company Near You

UPDATE: I guess my comment below about being surprised at 50% of attendees not clapping for Powells Rah-rah about Iraq was not far off the mark.
-PS
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A while back, at one of my firm's conferences, Colin Powell spoke. It was in front of people who are probably 90% Repubs. His speech was complete with not one but TWO snarky whines about that big meanie Michael Moore, one stab each at the NYT and Wash. Post., and there was one quip about Newsweek. You know how they can't get those quotes right. Snicker, snicker!

He talked about flying around in a taxpayer paid-for 757, with military escort. How he loved it when his right foot hit the bottom step and the engines began turning. When he sat down at in private office on board and was served a pepsi, they were in the air. He actually said it was, "Pretty cool." You are welcome Colin. No thanks necessary or apparently forthcoming.

He talked about his corvette. You see, he has served his country so long and so well, that he deserved to treat himself. This comment was quickly followed by a jab at the Washington Post, for implying he was speeding around VA dodging the cops. Snicker, snicker! Ol' Colin is just like you and me folks!

He spoke at length about . . . himself. About how great it was when he solved a spat between Morocco and Spain over a small island with goats. Snicker, snicker! Get it? Those furriners worry about the silliest things. We are 'murica, and we lead EVERYBODY.

He did not mention his speech to the UN or much about the current Bush administration. It was about this time that I realized two things;

1. You really can get to a point in this country where you will never be held accountable for your actions.
2. Once you are at that point, you actually believe in your Ceasarish mystique.

Colin seemed to have no regrets and no conscience. This was the guy who helped cover up the My Lai incident and was heavily involved in Iran-Contra. The guy who stood by when 20,000 African-Americans were illegally thrown off the voter rolls in Florida.

He was the great General Powell, so sit on this and spin America.

There was a couple of surprises. He did not talk about much about Iraq. Why remind folks that you lied to them and their kids are dying while you imagine how you are going to spend the $100k paid for speaking to them?

He said the same 'ol tired horsesheet. Central front on the war on terrorism, blah, blah, frikkin' blah. We can't leave Iraq until the job is done, yadda, yadda. The crowd of rethugs went wild clapping.

That was not unexpected. Or so it appeared at first . . . What was unexpected was, as I looked around the room, probably 50% of the audience DID NOT applaud wildly. They sat, arms crossed.

I felt better about America. Seeing through the booolsheet is not a Democrat/Repub issue. Realizing that you are being crapped on by our "leaders" has nothing to do with being a partisan and everything to do with being a realist.

I think we have turned a corner when half of a large group of Repubs realize the truth. We were lied into this quagmire, and Iraq needs to get better soon, or we need to get the hell out.

-Prodigal Son