BacktoCricaddict Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 (edited) https://www.reuters.com/world/us/henry-kissinger-dominant-us-diplomat-cold-war-era-dies-aged-100-2023-11-30/ Quote WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Henry Kissinger, the most powerful U.S. diplomat of the Cold War era, who helped Washington open up to China, forge arms control deals with the Soviet Union and end the Vietnam War, but who was reviled by critics over human rights, has died aged 100. Kissinger, a German-born Jewish refugee whose career took him from academia to diplomacy and who remained an active voice in foreign policy into his later years, died at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday, his geopolitical consulting firm, Kissinger Associates, said. A memorial service will take place in New York, and Kissinger will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington, said a source familiar with the arrangements. Kissinger was at the height of his powers during the 1970s in the middle of the Cold War when he served as national security adviser and secretary of state under Republican President Richard Nixon. After Nixon's resignation in 1974 amid the Watergate scandal, he remained a diplomatic force as secretary of state under Nixon's successor, President Gerald Ford. Kissinger was the architect of the U.S. diplomatic opening with China, landmark U.S.-Soviet arms control talks, expanded ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors, and the Paris Peace Accords with North Vietnam. While many hailed Kissinger for his brilliance and statesmanship, others branded him a war criminal for his support for anti-communist dictatorships, especially in Latin America. In his latter years, his travels were circumscribed by efforts by some countries to arrest or question him about past U.S. foreign policy. Discuss. Edited November 30, 2023 by BacktoCricaddict Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muloghonto Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 The most glossed-over aspect of Kissinger's career was him single-handedly torpedoing peace proposals between vietnam & USA in the early 70s, to get Richard Nixon elected (which he successfully did). His biggest geo-strategic failure, was thinking that China would become more democratic as it became richer - as if the oil rich arab nations became more democratic in the decades of becoming rich or China ever had a problem throughout history being rich & autocratic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gattaca Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 (edited) 35 minutes ago, Muloghonto said: The most glossed-over aspect of Kissinger's career was him single-handedly torpedoing peace proposals between vietnam & USA in the early 70s, to get Richard Nixon elected (which he successfully did). His biggest geo-strategic failure, was thinking that China would become more democratic as it became richer - as if the oil rich arab nations became more democratic in the decades of becoming rich or China ever had a problem throughout history being rich & autocratic. Supported my dictators who killed lot of people. He still didn’t learn his lesson recently went to china repair the relationship. Edited November 30, 2023 by gattaca Muloghonto 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee_rules Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 (edited) Good riddance . No RIP Edited December 1, 2023 by coffee_rules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diga Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 hmm.. died at 100, suckers usually have a long life gattaca and coffee_rules 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diga Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 For the fans of realpolitik , nice long read on Kissinger & his diplomacy https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/29/us/henry-kissinger-dead.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 Pure evil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gattaca Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 On 11/30/2023 at 7:12 PM, diga said: hmm.. died at 100, suckers usually have a long life Not dying before you are too old is a curse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee_rules Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 21 minutes ago, gattaca said: Not dying before you are too old is a curse. He deserves that curse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravishingravi Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 Not a great man but every country would like him on their team. That's the world we live in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BacktoCricaddict Posted December 2, 2023 Author Share Posted December 2, 2023 3 hours ago, ravishingravi said: Not a great man but every country would like him on their team. That's the world we live in. Like people feel about DJT. "He may be an a-hole, but he's OUR a-hole." Introspection is not the strong suit of most people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khota Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 (edited) Highly overrated. Responsible for the genocide of so many Bangladeshis. Evil, extremely unethical person. Devoid of empathy, never cared how many people died because of his actions. Edited December 2, 2023 by Khota Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BacktoCricaddict Posted December 2, 2023 Author Share Posted December 2, 2023 8 minutes ago, Khota said: Highly overrated. Responsible for the genocide of so many Bangladeshis. Evil, extremely unethical person. From my rudimentary understanding, he seemed to be bound by 2 ethical considerations: (1) The state's self-interest is the only goal, and everything that is done should be done for that goal (2) Pragmatism, not passion or idealism. While, in principle, this seems like a good idea, it takes humanity out of the equation while making foreign-policy decisions. And this drove the "enemy's enemy is friend" axiom. He has written about Kautilya and seems to have been inspired by Arthashastra. Ironically, the problem from our perspective as PIOs is that - for whatever reason - Pakistan was designated a friend and India was the "enemy of friend." He obviously had a scheming mind and used it deviously, resulting in millions of people dying. I just cannot fathom such thinking where humans are seen as pawns to "achieve" some bigger goal. Maybe that's what leaders do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khota Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 5 hours ago, ravishingravi said: Not a great man but every country would like him on their team. That's the world we live in. That sir is an Exhibit A that gives insight to your thinking. No, I don't want him on my team. Never. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khota Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 35 minutes ago, BacktoCricaddict said: From my rudimentary understanding, he seemed to be bound by 2 ethical considerations: (1) The state's self-interest is the only goal, and everything that is done should be done for that goal (2) Pragmatism, not passion or idealism. While, in principle, this seems like a good idea, it takes humanity out of the equation while making foreign-policy decisions. And this drove the "enemy's enemy is friend" axiom. He has written about Kautilya and seems to have been inspired by Arthashastra. Ironically, the problem from our perspective as PIOs is that - for whatever reason - Pakistan was designated a friend and India was the "enemy of friend." He obviously had a scheming mind and used it deviously, resulting in millions of people dying. I just cannot fathom such thinking where humans are seen as pawns to "achieve" some bigger goal. Maybe that's what leaders do. Doing the right thing serves your interests. Anyone who comes to a conclusion that Pakistan is better than India, needs to get his head examined. Made millions of dollars from China. BacktoCricaddict 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BacktoCricaddict Posted December 2, 2023 Author Share Posted December 2, 2023 1 minute ago, Khota said: Doing the right thing serves your interests. Anyone who comes to a conclusion that Pakistan is better than India, needs to get his head examined. Made millions of dollars from China. For warmongers, "doing the right thing" only applies to "doing the right thing" for your own state's citizens to keep them happy so there are no internal revolts. Even Arthashastra seems to state that. This does not apply to having the same sense of humanity for the citizens of another state; they are not your problem unless they become part of your state. For Kissinger, communism was evil and detrimental to the US' (his state's) self-interest. So, uprooting communism by any means was seen as necessary and, if millions of Vietnamese were killed along with 1000s of US soldiers, so be it. Despicable thinking. Khota 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravishingravi Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 24 minutes ago, Khota said: That sir is an Exhibit A that gives insight to your thinking. No, I don't want him on my team. Never. You support anti India éléments. Yes I am not the same team. That's for sure. Muloghonto 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khota Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 6 hours ago, ravishingravi said: You support anti India éléments. Yes I am not the same team. That's for sure. You want everyone to obey you and that is Anti-Indian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muloghonto Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 13 minutes ago, Khota said: You want everyone to obey you and that is Anti-Indian. too many people here think you are anti indian and support anti indian activities. Time to re-evaluate your position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee_rules Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 11 hours ago, BacktoCricaddict said: Like people feel about DJT. "He may be an a-hole, but he's OUR a-hole." Introspection is not the strong suit of most people. Dumb things to say. DJT was never a warmonger like HK. Muloghonto 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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