democratic underground

Colin Powell was no hero

The gushing tributes to Colin Powell are way over the top. Everyone in the political establishment apparently agrees that he was a hero.

On the other hand, he supported both the attack on/invasion of Vietnam and the attack on/invasion of Iraq, both wars of bipartisan consensus. 

Both were also wars on third world countries waged by the world's greatest military power. Hard to detect any heroism in that.

Instead, Powell can be seen as a war criminal responsible for his part in the deaths of uncounted people in those countries, not to mention the US service members who died in those wars of aggression.

See also ‘He lied’: Iraqis still blame Powell for role in Iraq war and Colin Powell's legacy: How his WMDs lie led to Donald Trump's Big Lie.

From 2005: Colin Powell was no hero.