Obama and Powell are Quite Compatible
by BAR executive editor Glen Ford
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"Obama never considered
the war to be a crime"
Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama, and the
candidate's effusive praise for Powell in return, demonstrates the ongoing
absurdity of describing Obama as the "peace candidate." Obama's eagerness to
preserve American empire, either in concert with junior partners or
unilaterally, is by now undeniable.
Colin Powell is convinced Obama is just the kind of new
face that U.S. imperialism needs. Powell should know. He was once considered to
be that new face that would soften world attitudes towards the United States -
without, of course, changing the underlying U.S. policy of military and
economic aggression in pursuit of permanent American hegemony over the planet.
Just as virtually the entire world today looks forward to an Obama presidency,
desperately yearning for a new era of American respect for the "opinions of
mankind," so was Secretary of State Colin Powell welcomed by the community of
nations as an American who respected the rights and aspirations of other
peoples. Even after the 9/11 attacks, as the Bush regime prepared for perpetual
warfare against anyone and everyone, Colin Powell remained an object of hope, a
kind of American exception: a Black man of reason in an otherwise crazy, cowboy
administration.
The world gave Powell far too much credit. On February 5,
2003, he betrayed whatever notions of decency that humanity had invested in
him. Iraq's President Saddam Hussein, Powell told the United Nations, was in
possession of biological and myriad other "weapons of mass destruction," and
was working on a nuclear bomb. Of that, Powell "had not doubt."
"Powell betrayed
whatever notions of decency that humanity had invested in him."
The United Nations - and all the rest of us watching -
understood Powell's
presentation as a declaration of war, which came six weeks later. Powell is
a central actor in the great crime against international law: waging war
against peace. There is no worse category of criminal than that.
Americans are the last people who can claim the right to
forgive Powell and his barbarian colleagues for their crimes. Instead, tens of
millions of Americans deepen their complicity in the ongoing crime against
peace, by honoring criminals like Colin Powell. And, there are huge numbers of
Black parents who, despite their personal opposition to the Iraq War, still
insist that Colin Powell remains a "role model" for Black youth. This is an
abuse of children by infliction of insanity and encouragement of depravity
among minors.
Powell and Barack Obama share much the same world
view. Powell's "unhappiness" with the
Iraq war "was that we didn't do it right," he told Meet
The Press, this Sunday. Barack Obama has always been equivocal about the
war, including during the 2002 speech
which is the only "anti-war" credit in his possession. "What I am opposed to is
a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war," said Obama, six years ago.
Ever since, he has been rationalizing the Iraq war, and how he can continue it,
as president. Obama never considered the war to be a crime, so he feels no
qualms about calling Powell "a great soldier, a great statesman and a great
American."
Obama is so sure he is so smart that anything he does as
the new commander-in-chief could never be "dumb" or "rash," including any wars
he prolongs or starts. Colin Powell and Barack Obama are no odd couple. They
are in fact, quite compatible.
For Black Agenda Radio, I'm Glen Ford.
BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted
at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.
Tembeka Ngcukaitobi is a South African lawyer and legal scholar. He is counsel for South Africa at the International Court of Justice.
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