Secretary of State Colin Powell, who occasionally sees the need to be “sensitive” to the needs and wishes of the international community, was asked to weigh in on Dick “Go F— Yourself” Cheney’s hypocritical condemnation of John Kerry using of the infamous “s” word. Ever the diplomat, Powell did his best to avoid the substance of the question.
In a meeting with Cincinnati Enquirer’s editorial board, Powell was asked who was right and whether “sensitivity” should play a role in America’s approach to military matters. The answer wasn’t published in the print edition of the article about the interview, but here’s what Powell said:
“That word has become such a politically charged word that I will find a synonym for it since I’m the Secretary of State and I’m not supposed to indulge in partisan parochial politics. But we are very mindful of the views of others.” (emphasis added)
Powell clearly hasn’t seen the memo. Otherwise, he’d know that:
America has been in too many wars for any of our wishes, but not a one of them was won by being mindful. President Lincoln and General Grant did not wage mindful warfare — nor did President Roosevelt, nor Generals Eisenhower and MacArthur. A “mindful war” will not destroy the evil men who killed 3,000 Americans and who seek the chemical, nuclear and biological weapons to kill hundreds of thousands more. The men who beheaded Daniel Pearl and Paul Johnson will not be impressed by our mindfulness. As our opponents see it, the problem isn’t the thugs and murderers that we face, but our attitude. Well, the American people know better. They know that we are in a fight to preserve our freedom and our way of life, and that we are on the side of rights and justice in this battle. Those who threaten us and kill innocents around the world do not need to be treated more mindfully. They need to be destroyed.
No wonder Powell and Cheney don’t get along.