Politics

January 19, 2005 11:40 AM

The shift from Colin Powell to Condoleeza Rice at the State Department could have important implications for the future of American foreign policy. Some of the commonalities and differences between them are revealed in Powell's essay, and Rice's essay. (via Foreign Affairs)
posted by semmi (14 comments total)

Very interesting. Thanks semmi.
posted by caddis at 12:22 PM on January 19, 2005

Some of the commonalities and differences between them

Powell is black.
Rice is black.

Powell has no credibility left.
Rice has no credibility left.

Powell thinks Bush is his friend.
Rice thinks Bush is her husband.

Powell is getting out.
Rice is staying in.

Powell lied about WMD.
Rice lied about WMD.

This list could go on for a very long time. (Oh, and thanks for the link semmi!)
posted by nofundy at 12:26 PM on January 19, 2005

Ok, I was about to go off half-cocked on Condaleeza's article, about its focus on the demise of the Soviet Union, the dog kicking of Clinton ... but then I saw it was from Jan 2000. Powell's is from 2004.

I'm not sure its a fair comparison, whose world view hasn't changed dramatically in the last 4 years?
posted by forforf at 1:19 PM on January 19, 2005

Mine sure has. I used to vote for Republicans.
posted by sonofsamiam at 1:28 PM on January 19, 2005

This is really interesting. Thanks, semmi.
posted by koeselitz at 2:40 PM on January 19, 2005

[This is good. Thanks, semmi-- I'll be processing this for a while.]
posted by koeselitz at 2:47 PM on January 19, 2005

[arrg. "post" button seems to be on a weird delay, what with the wierd cookies on this public terminal. sorry.]
posted by koeselitz at 3:57 PM on January 19, 2005

sonofsamiam, I know what you mean. I almost feel nostalgic for Bush 41 sometimes. I wonder if he's looked at the current Iraq mess and thought "at least I didn't cause that."

on the nightly news some wanker said that holding up Rice's confirmation vote was impeding national security. I'm still trying to figure out how making her SecState makes us a more secure country. I just don't see it.
posted by alumshubby at 4:18 PM on January 19, 2005

Thanks, semmi. On a whim a few days ago, I went through the New Yorker's Iraq war story archive and found their Henry Louis Gates Jr. profile of Powell and their Nicolas Lemann profile of Rice.
posted by allaboutgeorge at 9:02 PM on January 19, 2005

forforf: Your concern about changing views is perfectly valid. But in casting around for articles like these, though, I'm hoping to read things that cut through to essential character insights. (Not so much a comparison, really.) Maybe that's what is driving others.
posted by allaboutgeorge at 9:04 PM on January 19, 2005

Yeah but could Powell play the piano?
posted by TwelveTwo at 9:21 PM on January 19, 2005

Powell sings, dances and chats with P.J. O'Rourke. Gotta count for something.
posted by allaboutgeorge at 12:46 AM on January 20, 2005

Personally, I don't think there will be much cause for a shift.
PNAC/neocons and their ilk are what's really driving foreign policy right now. And unless the Iraqi elections are an outright failure, or some new threat rears it's head, nothing will change.
posted by black8 at 2:54 AM on January 20, 2005

TwelveTwo: Speaking of Condi playing the piano ...
posted by allaboutgeorge at 3:32 AM on January 20, 2005