I know Colin Powell has a lot of admirers, and I tend not to be among them. I’m not talking about his military career, where from what I can tell he did a fine job, with such admirable quotes as “First we’re going to cut [the enemy army] off, then we’re going to kill it.” There are parts of the Powell Doctrine that are letter perfect, such as don’t make it a fair fight, hit the enemy with everything you can, but the clear exit strategy is a non-starter for me. Clear victory conditions and a clear vision of what you hope to achieve, yes, but that may not be get in and get back out ASAP. It may be get in and stay in — like after WWII.
I think his reputation as Secretary of State had more to do with his ability to handle the press than handle foreign affairs. And quite frankly, I think Condoleeza Rice is outshining him in one important area – she isn’t afraid to leave the US and beard the lion in his den. Colin seemed much more attached to the comforts of hearth and home and his lack of foreign travel limited his effectiveness as Secretary of State.
