Introduction
Colin Powell was an American politician who proved himself as a successful representative of the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the national security advisor. His military and political careers were characterized by several meaningful achievements in the spheres of the U.S. military, international relationships, and health care. The Powell Doctrine is a remarkable change in military actions to promote national security interests and define the responsibilities of the U.S. government (Schultheis, 2021). He also initiated several HIV/AIDS programs, but his decision to invade Iraq remained a critical mistake for the United States. Thus, Powell’s change management had positive and negative impacts on the country, the government, and the citizens.
Colin Powell’s Contributions to the United States
The decisions made by the U.S. government cannot be defined as purely positive or negative because the same idea might bring a certain number of benefits and losses at the same time. As such, the overview of changes associated with Powell’s activities reveals several successful outcomes and one dramatic mistake. Powell himself admitted that his speech before the United Nations about the necessity of supporting the Iraq War was inaccurate (as cited in Schultheis, 2021). People believed that this invasion was one of the most terrible mistakes made by the U.S. government that took thousands of American lives. However, many people believed that at that moment, it was the correct decision because Iraq was a serious threat to national security across the globe. Because of being poorly prepared, the American troops failed, and Powell’s change was negative in this case.
At the same time, Powell demonstrated good results in decision-making strategies and organizational issues that were critical for the government. At the beginning of the 1990s, he offered the doctrine according to which several questions should be asked before any military action or intervention could be implemented (Schultheis, 2021). Powell recommended identifying the actual threats to national security, goals of the intervention, risks and costs, policy means, consequences, and the level of international support. As soon as the leaders were able to answer all these questions, they would see if they should or should interfere in a particular case. Military action should be limited unless all factors and standards are examined from the political, diplomatic, and economic perspectives (Schultheis, 2021). Thus, these steps do not take much time or resources, but positive outcomes are observed.
Finally, Powell was one of those politicians who supported the idea of new HIV/AID programs for the population. Although his decision to support such initiatives at the international level was not a change, he contributed to building economies to continue solving the public health problem (Schultheis, 2021). People have to be aware of how dangerous HIV/AIDS could be and that they can prevent this disease and save their lives. Powell’s initiative did not disclose some new problems or offer new solutions, but it was a strong background to enhance the population’s health.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Colin Powell contributed to positive and negative changes in the government. The examples of the HIV/AIDS initiative, the Powell Doctrine, and the outcomes of the invasion of Iraq are not the only achievements of the politicians. Still, these ideas and decisions play an important role in American history because they prove how one person could change the government and make other people decide. Today, it is wrong and even useless to judge Powell for his ideas, but evaluating his activities might help future leaders predict failures and choose a better direction.
Reference
Schultheis, N. (2021). The top ten accomplishments of Colin Luther Powell (1937-2021). Resume Place.