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As the saying goes, never speak ill of the dead. I have nothing to say about this man.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67574495
Thank **** for that, I thought he'd never leave.
He was a prominent figure when i was too young to understand who he was and what he did, so looking forward to reading tbe obituaries to educate myself
An interesting character whatever you think of him. His personal experience was probably broader than anyone we have on the political stage at the moment (certainly in Britain). Fleeing Nazi Germany, working in factories, fighting in WW2, etc. Perhaps this shaped a pragmatic rather than ideology driven attitude. Although bombing and coups are absolutely unacceptable conclusions (in my book) he was instrumental in driving better relationships with China during a very iffy period. Realpolitik was dark but Detente was a move in the right direction.
He was absolutely the personification of "power is the ultimate aphrodisiac"
Not just satire then.
he was instrumental in driving better relationships with China during a very iffy period.
Only insomuch as he was more interested in an tacit ant-soviet alliance.
Well if there is true justice in the world he will only ever be heading to a very hot place now
As an undergraduate, I was in a class with a Cambodian foreign student. He was a really smart funny guy, wicked sense of humour. Somehow we got around to talking about the Nobel Peace Prize. He just laughed and laughed and laughed at Kissenger getting awarded it.
The fact both China and Putin are paying tribute says everything
The Chilean ambassador to the US sums him up well.
"A man whose historical brilliance could never conceal his profound moral wretchedness.”
The good die young.
Very disappointing that Kissinger was never prosecuted or even shunned by the political classes for his crimes.
I don't like to speak ill of people when they die in old age, in this case because it's a tragedy he didn't die in childbirth.
Scope for one of those "well known recently died people arrive in heaven at the same time" jokes. Kissinger going to heaven does stretch credulity a bit too far, I guess that would need to be worked in to it.
He was a busy fellow, what with the bombing of innocent civilians and the overthrow of democratically elected governments. It's a wonder he found the time to spy on journalists and his own staff.
Good riddance.
As the saying goes, never speak ill of the dead. I have nothing to say about this man.
If he was involved in the decision to bomb the Cambodian or Vietnamese people, he deserves all the criticism he gets dead or alive. Speak ill of the dead? Nobody would speak ill of the dead if they leave a good legacy. Well, he had got off lightly living to 100 by enjoying the misery of others through his decisions.
The fact both China and Putin are paying tribute says everything
They welcomed him to "settle the matter" nothing more. They are not friends.
A dangerous person that managed to wield so much power indirectly and managed to influence the power. This is the person that came very close to absolute power.
Now face the hell judges.
Well if there is true justice in the world he will only ever be heading to a very hot place now
Satan put it off as long as possible, even he has no desire to have the bloke around the place.
As an aside, the full Bourdain quote is worth it:
Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands. You will never again be able to open a newspaper and read about that treacherous, prevaricating, murderous scumbag sitting down for a nice chat with Charlie Rose or attending some black-tie affair for a new glossy magazine without choking. Witness what Henry did in Cambodia – the fruits of his genius for statesmanship – and you will never understand why he’s not sitting in the dock at The Hague next to Milošević.
Meanwhile:
Perhaps this shaped a pragmatic rather than ideology driven attitude.
Yeah, but calling Kissinger pragmatic is just a prettier way of calling him a nihilistic, grasping, scheming genius. As the provocative and polemical Rolling Stone obituary says:
Kissinger represented anticommunism without ideological zeal. He was an energetic, even relentless practitioner of the Cold War, the theater of anticommunist conflict. But like George Kennan before him, Kissinger thought viewing the Cold War in ideological terms missed the point. The point was American geopolitical dominance, something measured in impunity and achieved by any means necessary. That permitted Nixon and Kissinger the creativity to reopen China, something Nixon would have demagogued anyone else for attempting.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/henry-kissinger-war-criminal-dead-1234804748/
I liked this...
https://chaser.com.au/world/war-criminal-downgraded-to-just-diplomat-in-media-reports-following-his-death/
War Criminal downgraded to just ‘diplomat’ in media reports following his death
Shock news around the world as War Criminal Henry Kissinger died in his family home, after tragically not dying years earlier.
As outlets around the world prepare his obituary, editorial staff have been sending out letters telling journalists what terms are and aren’t appropriate when talking about the evil **** in an effort to not hurt the dead war criminal’s feelings in a way that would make countries question their own war crimes.
“We know he was one of the greatest war criminals of all time,” wrote the editors for every mainstream outlet in a joint statement, “but the best way to handle this is to just focus on the ‘greatest’ part.”
“For example, instead of talking about bombings Vietnam that caused the war to escalate, talk about how he won a Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating down the escalations in the war.”
“Just use that passive tone we always strive for when discussing war crimes that leaves people not questioning who did them. Who knows, maybe those bombs just magically appeared in Cambodia?”
“A man has died and we need to respect that by ignoring the countless other lives that came to a violent end due to his actions. Once we ignore the bad stuff he did, we can all feel better about painting him as a ‘controversial’ hero.”
And also an obit.
Former US Secretary of State Dr Henry Kissinger has died at age 100, after tragically not dying decades earlier.
Kissinger died peacefully in his home, devastating many who wanted to see him shot out of a cannon.
The world’s least charismatic bond villain was seen by many as one of the greatest War Criminals of all time, a revolutionary in the modern age of slaughtering millions.
A worldly man. From Chile, to Vietnam, Cambodia and many more, Kissinger’s bombs have left a singe mark on every corner of the globe.
The only war criminal in history whose actions in Asia and South America were so horrific that people forget all the shit he did to prevent apartheid being overturned in South Africa.
But his efforts were not just focused on the war crimes America could commit. He was a strong ally to many nations, enabling and inspiring them to also massacre people of colour.
For the sake of time, we will now list all the regions he didn’t try to destroy, destabilise or overthrow:
- Any predominantly white country
But Kissinger was more than just a war criminal, he was also a Nobel Peace Prize winning war criminal. He won the award for his efforts de-escalating the Vietnam War which had initially escalated due to his carpet bombing of multiple nations.
Media coverage of his death has seen his war criminal status downgraded to just referred to as a ‘scholar’, ‘diplomat’ and ‘controversial figure’ in an effort to avoid having to have any awkward conversations about the media's acceptance of war crimes.
Tribute messages have come in from across the world. Many prominent figures in the war criminal community like Tony Blair have left heartfelt messages for their friend, and Cambodia has conducted a 21 napalm salute.
Ultimately Kissinger will be remembered as someone who died as he lived, being a ****.
Yours,
John Delmenico
Editor of The Chaser until I am overthrown by the CIA.
weird double post
I’ve never understood the phrases ‘Don’t speak ill of the dead’ ‘show some respect’ and ‘I’d never wish harm on anyone’ some people are just complete and utter ****ing bastards. The piece of shit deserves all the vitriol and scorn people can muster. I’m glad he’s dead and a bit miffed he got to live a long life when many people didn’t because of him.
There was a period in my life when Henry Kissinger and Herman Kahn seemed to be everywhere.
I somehow find Kahn the worst with his concept of a 'winnable' nuclear war.
I somehow find Kahn the worst with his concept of a ‘winnable’ nuclear war.
I think the key thing is what people consider "winning" to mean. It's a bit like Putin in Ukraine - in objective terms, he's already lost a lot, but for him, destroying the Ukrainian nation and strengthening his personal hold on power counts as a win, regardless of how badly Russia suffers.
... regardless of how badly Russia suffers.
Nobody wants "Kissenger's gangs" as neighbour.
Blair was an adoring fan.
He was wrong on lots of things and as he aged it became clear that he was stuck in the past.
He opposed Ukraine's membership of NATO because it might lead to invasion.
He also came up with a peace plan without any thought to the fact that neither side would agree to it; Russia wouldn't step down and Ukraine wouldn't give up territory.
He eventually saw the light in January 2023, "Before this war I was opposed to the membership of Ukraine in NATO, because I feared it would start exactly the process we are seeing now."
He's a *.
He was a *.
Done more to destabilise the world, especially Africa, South America and the Middle East, than almost anyone post WW2. Big supporter of Israel and it's wars against its neighbours.
A bully.
Blair was an adoring fan.
I was going to say, someone mentioned above that Putin left tribute but can see Blair being a fanboi.
I have to put my hand up and admit I knew of Kissinger but not much about him.
Having spent the morning reading up on his history, I hope he died an agonising, painful death.
Having spent the morning reading up on his history, I hope he died an agonising, painful death.
LOL! Sounds like he did more damage than good.
He opposed Ukraine’s membership of NATO because it might lead to invasion.
As much as I know he was the indirect power behind the administration, he was correct in this decision.
Behind the bastards did a really good 4 part series on him. Well worth listening to if you habe the time.
Let's not undersell it here - 6 part series!
As much as I know he was the indirect power behind the administration, he was correct in this decision.
Did I misunderstand what happened in the Donbas region in April 2014 and again in February 2022 when Russia went on tour in non-NATO member Ukraine's territory?
Did I misunderstand what happened in the Donbas region in April 2014 and again in February 2022 when Russia went on tour in non-NATO member Ukraine’s territory?
On the tankie world view, that's all NATO's fault for not respecting Russia's right to be treated as a "Great Power" (i.e. a 19th century style expansionist empire). Kissenger took the view that realism meant accepting that Great Powers had spheres of influence and that moral considerations shouldn't distract us from that. He spent the second half of his career trying to whitewash the catastrophes he participated in in the first half. Tragically, the tankies have now taken up the mantle that moral considerations should be ignored and are frantically excusing every murderous tyrant on the grounds that NATO/America/Jews/capitalism are to blame and that nobody else has any agency.
Leaving aside the individual catastrophes that Kissenger either encouraged or willfully ignored, the worst legacy of his tenure as a self-promoted Geopolitical Mastermind was that he undermined the idea that morality should guide foreign policy. That's the best gift than tyrants the world over could ever have asked for.
Freeloaders can't rate posts, several posts on here deserve it 👍
New Yorker podcast mentioned today that Kinssinger met Putin probably more thab any other American. And that Kissinger was unbelievably touchy and thin skinned, and would regularly phone editors to moan aboit his coverage