Colin Powell: A Good Man

Powell died of a covid-related illness at the age of 84. He was the first black Secretary of State for the United States. Were you forwarded this email? [Sign-up to Rude Awakening here.]( [Unsubscribe]( [The Rude Awakening] Colin Powell: A Good Man - Powell died of a covid-related illness at the age of 84. - He was the first black Secretary of State for the United States. - Powell was also the youngest-ever Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Recommended Link [World’s Richest Man’s Latest Bombshell]( [Click here for more...]( His first BOMBSHELL shook the retail industry and completely turned it upside down. And now the man is targeting another $2 trillion industry with his latest BOMBSHELL. It could bankrupt household name companies. It could disrupt established industries... It could make folks like you a fortune. The fuse has already been lit... and on October 19 I believe he’ll reveal a few more details. If you missed out on taking advantage of the Amazon success story... don’t miss out again. [Click Here To Learn More]( Sean Ring Editor, Rude Awakening Good morning! Grab your cup of coffee and join me for a shorter, sadder Rude today. I so admired Colin Powell growing up, hoping he’d run for President. But one terrible decision haunted him until the end. But let’s start with all the considerable good of his life. The Man Former Secretary of State and former Joint Chiefs of Staff head Colin Powell died a couple of days ago. I feel sad about his passing. I also feel nostalgic for what was and, worse, what could have been. Powell was the first black man I admired who wasn't a movie star or athlete. He wasn't Denzel Washington, Richard Pryor, or Eddie Murphy. Nor was he Lawrence Taylor, Walter Payton, or Magic Johnson. He was a man who was often labeled with that backhanded compliment of being “articulate.” In public, Powell was measured, poised, and prepared. Everything you want in a public speaker. Not a word wasted, not a word out of place. Ah, the days when government officials looked competent. It seems like it’s been three decades or so. Oh yeah, it was... But Powell wasn’t just a general. He was The General. Powell rose up the ranks of the US military after attending City College in New York, in Harlem, and at the time a great school. He then joined the Army’s ROTC program and later served in Vietnam. His accomplishments include two Purple Hearts and the Soldier’s Medal for returning to a crashed helicopter to rescue fellow soldiers. After Vietnam, he went to Washington and met Casper Weinberger and Fred Carlucci, who took him under their wings. Joint Chiefs and Iraq, Part I Powell became the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at age 52. He was the youngest ever to earn that job, a record that still stands. And it's a fantastic accomplishment. I remember during the first Iraq war, when I was still in high school, hearing him speak at the podium. Indeed, I was struck by how articulate and forthright he was. "We're going to cut it off, and then we're going to kill it." That’s what he said the US military would do to the Iraqi Army that had invaded Kuwait. I remember thinking, “Those Iraqi dudes are in big trouble.” His phrase is inexorably etched onto my brain. I'm sure my generation feels the same way I did when I thought, “Man, he'd make a great first black President.” I have no idea why he didn't run for President. Maybe he didn't want the job or couldn't take the pressure of running and pandering for votes. I imagine most military men aren’t into that kind of frippery. But I think he would've been great. I also think he would've been far better at being President than he was at Secretary of State. Some men are better at leading than following. I also genuinely believe if he were President in the early Noughties, we would never have invaded Iraq. Recommended Link [The Tesla Breakthrough That Disrupts EVERYTHING]( [Click here for more...]( While most Wall Street analysts are focused on Tesla’s… - Million-mile battery… - Full Self-Driving Capabilities… - And Bitcoin holdings… They’re missing the much BIGGER Tesla story... Short version: Tesla is quietly working on a game-changing technology project… That’s part of a new ground floor opportunity (which Bloomberg says) will grow an exponential 12,100% over the coming years… And could potentially mint a whole new wave of millionaires in the process. Get the full story… including the #1 ticker symbol for playing this new 12,100% tech boom (for free, no sign-up required). [Click Here Now]( The Speech In my mind, the public will always remember Powell for that ridiculous speech he gave at the UN. I just read an editorial in [The Wall Street Journal]( where they apologized for him. The editors allege that he acted honorably and used the best intelligence the CIA could provide at the time. Powell himself knew the intelligence was [bullshit]( and he said it himself before the speech. That tidbit was found out about three months later. I remember sitting on my trading desk in London, looking up at the screen, watching the speech. The volume was on: it was one of those special moments. You could tell he had no conviction in his voice. You could tell it was a pack of lies. I had never been so disappointed in a politician in my whole life. Unfortunately, that disappointment has grown exponentially ever since. At that moment, I knew he was just an apparatchik in an administration that had already lost its way. In many ways, my complete distrust of government was born during that speech. My respect for him plummeted after that. Later, Powell was asked to resign by the very men he was loyal to because he constantly conflicted with Donald Rumsfeld’s Pentagon. I think Powell knew far more about defense than Rumsfeld ever did. Powell called that speech a blot on his career, but that speech was the beginning of the end of his career. After that, his loyalty to Republicans didn't last long as he voted for Barack Obama in both the 2008 and 2012 elections. McCain and Romney were no prizes, I agree. The Founder of Modern Singapore, Lee Kwan Yu, [famously said]( “In multiracial societies, you don't vote in accordance with your economic interests and social interests, you vote in accordance with race and religion.” That sentiment seems to ring true in this case. Wrap Up This doesn't demean all his accomplishments. He was born to Jamaican immigrants in Harlem. He rose from nothing to become one of the highest-ranking members of the US military and the US government. He was a well-educated, brave, and competent man who was admired by many in his prime. It's just a shame that he didn't go further. But one can say that about each of us. May he rest in peace. Have a good day. All the best, Sean Ring Editor, Rude Awakening [Whitelist Us]( | [Archive]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( Rude Awakening is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We do not rent or share your email address. By submitting your email address, you consent to Paradigm Press delivering daily email issues and advertisements. To end your Rude Awakening e-mail subscription and associated external offers sent from Rude Awakening, feel free to [unsubscribe](. Please read our [Privacy Statement.]( If you are you having trouble receiving your Rude Awakening subscription, you can ensure its arrival in your mailbox by [whitelisting us.]( © 2021 Paradigm Press, LLC. 808 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore MD 21202. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular investment situation. 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