[coldtea]

>What did they know that Colin Powell—a Vietnam vet, mind you!—did not?

Nothing. They just had different interests: his to promote his career and feed the imperial machine, theirs to end war.

>If you’re not even 20, that outcome might not have been obvious. But if you served two tours in Vietnam and are in your 50s, you should know better

If you care about the country/justice/etc, which is a big if in politics.