[Newspoetry] McArthur's Duty, Honor, Country vs Powell

[DL Emerick]

McArthur's Duty, Honor, Country
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/douglasmacarthurthayeraward.html

Generals dominate history.

In running decisions for death and destruction,
in the name of some cause of this and that,
the general says, "I kill because they want me to."

And simple words shield the general from morality,
the general immunity of merely following orders,
always following orders, in technical excellence.

So, Powell says today, I made my worst mistake
telling all the world at the United Nations
that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

I valued loyalty and did my duty to my country,
but I miserably failed the test of honor,
for what I thought were facts were not true.

I failed the test of honor, to know thyself,
a more ancient riddle than Plato's words
McArthur cites "only the dead know war's end."

The living that is to be, the life yet to come,
are the ends of war to which deep honor speaks,
and these are the words Powell did not heed.

Honor always requires knowing truth yourself,
doubting wisdom in others, their lusty urgings
impelling their own desires over honor's guard.

Know yourself is a duty, too, and to country,
when democracy requires liberty and freedom
to reject leadership hell-bent for a war lord.