Woulda coulda shoulda

Richard Armitage, I kind of like you. You seem reasonably smart, not completely ideologically bankrupt, you tried to fight against some of the more grossly offensive foreign policy decisions of the past 8 years, and, unlike most of your compatriots in the Bush regime, blessed with some measure of conscience, self awareness, and realization of the Bush legacy. I might go so far to say that I wouldn't reflexively spit on you out of principle. But do me a favor (and pass this note on to Colin Powell too) could you stop with the "in hindsight I would have quit" garbage?

ARMITAGE: We did know that we lost the terminology question in Geneva. We did know of course because the [International Committee of the Red Cross] would come to see me and Secretary Powell. We certainly knew that they had suspicions.

LEWIS: So when you knew that the administration of which you were a part was departing from the Geneva Conventions and sidelining them, why didn't you quit?

ARMITAGE: In hindsight maybe I should've. But in those positions you see how many more battles you have. You maybe fool yourself. You say how much worse would x, y, or z be if I weren't here trying to do it? So torture is a matter of principle as far as I'm concerned. I hope, had I known about it at the time I was serving, I would've had the courage to resign.

You knew you had lost the fight to abide by the Geneva Conventions, but you didn't know torture was going on? What did you think they were going to do out from under the auspices of the international laws governing interrogation and prisoner conditions in warfare? Well done on trying to fight for the GC, but come on. You had to know what was coming and you had the chance to quit. You didn't. Quit trying to take a stand after the fact and quit trying to grub for credit on something you didn't actually do.