by Bhaskar Sunkara and Jonah Walters, The Guardian
Henry Kissinger turns 100 on Saturday, but his legacy has never been in worse shape. Though many commentators now speak of a “tortured and deadly legacy”, for decades Kissinger was lauded by all quarters of the political and media establishment.
A teenage Jewish refugee who fled Nazi Germany, Kissinger charted an unlikely path to some of the most powerful positions on Earth. Even more strangely, as national security adviser and secretary of state under Nixon and Ford, he became something of a pop icon.
Back then, one fawning profile of the young statesman cast him as “the sex symbol of the Nixon administration”. In 1969, according to the profile, Kissinger attended a party full of Washington socialites with an envelope marked “Top Secret” tucked under his arm. The other party guests could hardly contain their curiosity, so Kissinger deflected their questions with a quip: the envelope contained his copy of the latest Playboy magazine. (Hugh Hefner apparently found this hilarious and thereafter ensured that the national security adviser got a free subscription.)
Recent Posts
Democrats Might Save Mike Johnson’s Push to Give Trump Domestic Spying Power
Take Action Now They’re crossing party lines to renew Section 702 of FISA. Jamie Raskin asks, “What could go wrong with that?”By Matt Sledge, The…
Stop Escalating The War on Iran Now
Take Action Now Trump is threatening to attack Iranian power plants. The Iranian government is threatening to attack oil infrastructure in the gulf…
Cuba Is Prepared to Offer Compensation to Americans Who Lost Property in the 1959 Revolution
Take Action Now Cuba is willing to put the “lump sum” compensation measure on the table in talks with the U.S., a Cuban official told Drop Site.By…
Between the Dragon and His Wrath: A Tale of Two Kents
Take Action Now Joe Kent knew the lie. As the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, he would have known all this better than most. He…