Powell was more than an ‘Affirmative Action’ general such as that bone head three star Honore that Bush sent to Louisiana for colorful optics in the wake of Katrina. (Russell Honore is just flat stupid, I have dealt with him after Katrina and know.) Powell has had powerful sponsors from far back in his career. He was the deputy division G-3 (Ops) with the Americals at the time of My Lai. No way he did not know all the details and was not involved in the coverup. Almost alone of senior responsible officers he was not cited with ‘negligence’ or something worse by the Peers Commission. Powell had powerful sponsors somewhere, probably both in the Army and on K Street. He was, I think, a former White House Fellow, which is truly uber establishment talent spotting. His whole career was inside the Beltway , with required command tours to get the right punches on his ticket. I am sure his mind is classic inside the Beltway statist, big government, administrative state. That is what DC is like from lower mid level bureaucrats up to the top of the pyramid.
Wish I had seen your post before I posted 22. That is a very informative take you shared, and answers questions never even posed yet. Thx.