Halperin's Take

Young people should be made to understand why Dick Holbrooke’s passing is having such an impact on Washington and on people of a certain age. He was larger than life, committed to public service and a participant in so many of the last half century's major foreign policy moments. These days, because of the explosion of media, a lot of "famous" and "important" people die and get media attention. Holbrooke was more important than famous – and important is more important.