News like this, the possibility that our "surge" in Iraq might actually be working, is precisely the sort of thing that might conceivably change my opinion about the war. But, thus far I'm still against the war, because I think a few successes here or there won't matter a hill a beans in this crazy, mixed-up world.
I've opposed the war from the beginning, not on moral grounds, but on practical ones. The war in Iraq, its stated and apparent goals, simply don't seem attainable - or frankly worth our while - based on the way I see the world. Sure all corners of the world becoming democracies is a nice idea; real democracies are less likely to violate people's rights, are more reliable diplomatic partners. The list of reasons for preferring democracies over other forms of government is endless. But I simply don't think the United States is capable of bringing about such real democracies via our military.
My understanding of Colin Powell's worldview leads me to believe that he sees the Iraq war in similar terms. The relative morality of waging such a thing is secondary to the consideration that the goals of the war can't be met, and thus the war itself isn't in the interests of the United States. Assuming all of this to be the case, that Powell opposed the war for this reason, it therefore means that Powell cares about the fate of the United States, and would want to be in a position to affect the course of the war and the overall policy decisions of the Bush administration.
The President waged the war in Iraq despite Powell's objections. Because he cared, in 2003, about the fate of the United States, which was entering a war with which he didn't agree, Powell was correct to remain as Secretary of State. It was honorable to remain in a position with the potential ability to affect the course of the war. The war, according to this line of thinking, wasn't immoral, and by Powell remaining a party to it, wasn't doing something dishonorable. If, on the other hand, the war were immoral and Powell privately objected to it, but publicly supported it, that would surely be another story.
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