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Colin Powell Dead

LOL. I didn’t delete anything. Clearly you didn’t think it was that bad.

It’s interesting that people are outraged that Harriott gave a well thought out and informed contextualization of how Black people feel about Powell. Same people loved his uninformed take downs of Mayor Pete.

I was interested to read similar profiles or contextualizations of Ben Carson. I think the author acknowledges all the same that it doesn’t absolve these characters from their flaws. Importantly he says Powell wasn’t popular with Black folks because of his ideology, and I’m not criticizing his popularity, I’m criticizing his ideology.
 
You can go back to 2015 and since then to read somewhat similar pieces from Baltimore area Black writers who grew up admiring brilliant surgeon Dr. Carson who express their disappointment about his politics and role legitimizing Trump and the GOP decline into fascism.

There are some obvious major differences between Carson and Powell though. Carson came after Obama, not before. Powell spoke up against the current GOP and Trump. Carson served it.
 
I'm going with agree with Ph on this thread for a 1000 Alex/Mayim.
 
You can go back to 2015 and since then to read somewhat similar pieces from Baltimore area Black writers who grew up admiring brilliant surgeon Dr. Carson who express their disappointment about his politics and role legitimizing Trump and the GOP decline into fascism.

There are some obvious major differences between Carson and Powell though. Carson came after Obama, not before. Powell spoke up against the current GOP and Trump. Carson served it.

Yea not drawing a comparison between the two figures, only saying I was interested as a white man to read those stories about an experience other than my own. I can understand what people like or respect about Powell without venerating him myself.
 
Yea not drawing a comparison between the two figures, only saying I was interested as a white man to read those stories about an experience other than my own. I can understand what people like or respect about Powell without venerating him myself.

I think it’s important to learn about and understand other people’s perspectives especially marginalized peoples without just writing them off because you don’t share their opinions. This narrative is important because it goes against part of the Iraq War story that Powell sold the war to people using his popularity. That didn’t work as well on Black people. It also shows that identity politics isn’t just about representation and popularity. Republicans have figured that out with white grievance politics.

On the same token, I understand why white women boomer like Hillary even though I don’t. I can not like someone but understand why others do and why others who also don’t like her do so for bullshit reasons. And I can use that to dissect why I don’t like her.
 
I can understand what people like or respect about Powell without venerating him myself.

Right. I am aware that political figures like Secretary Powell are respected for their accomplishments - but I can’t respect people divorcing political accomplishments from the repercussions and consequences of those politicians actions. Hundreds of thousands of great, accomplished Black men and women die every year, only recognized and memorialized by their friends and family - great chefs, great barbers, great teachers, great artists, great parents and caregivers. Imperfect people who lie, do drugs, cheat on their spouses. But they don’t start wars, they don’t propagandize to the world about fictitious weapons of mass destruction, they don’t cause global chaos. Political power has *real* world wide consequences. It’s not a matter of opinion. It’s not subjective. It’s not a matter of political partisanship. Politicians have to be held accountable in life and in memory.
 
You are saying General Powell is a worse person who those who lie, do drugs, and cheat on their spouses.

Wow. Just wow.

Pray that God is kinder about your flaws in the mere hours after your death.
 
It’s extremely fucked up that we live in a world, in a nation where the consequences for bad judgement are so much harsher and immediate for regular citizens than for the people in power. A man can spend his whole fucking life in prison for stealing or selling drugs or fighting, but you literally starve a foreign nation with sanctions, sell billions of dollars of military equipment to fascists and terrorists, torture enemy combatants, and *nothing*. You retire to an unimaginably comfortable life, worldwide respect, and they put your face on a fucking stamp when you die.
 
Do you believe in the afterlife? Wouldn't justice be dispensed there?
 
Do you believe in the afterlife? Wouldn't justice be dispensed there?

If this was a legit argument, we'd outsource justice to after death for everyone. But we don't.
 
It does provide a sense of relief for those who do not achieve justice in the mortal world.

The deterrent effect of incareration and punishment in the mortal realm is not diminished.

Also, if you don't believe in the afterlife, who cares what people think or put on a stam once you are dead. You're gone.
 
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Also, if you don't believe in the afterlife, who cares what people think or put on a stam once you are dead. You're gone.
Exactly. The point of holding leaders to account in death is to shape the future and guide the future leaders who will succeed them.
 
Exactly. The point of holding leaders to account in death is to shape the future and guide the future leaders who will succeed them.

If there are no post-death ramifications for me, why shouldn't I enjoy power and privilege? Why do I care if I'm on a stamp after I'm dead? Or if people bad mouth me on message boards or the press?
 
If there are no post-death ramifications for me, why shouldn't I enjoy power and privilege? Why do I care if I'm on a stamp after I'm dead? Or if people bad mouth me on message boards or the press?

I don’t know why you are speaking from the perspective of a dead person. I don’t think any of us are concerned about that.
 
We are talking about the deceased General Powell. He was an Episcopalian. He believed he had to answer for what he had done.

What happens in death affects numerous people and leaders in their behavior in life, me included.
 
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