Americans, what do you think of Henry Kissinger?

39 comments

1. He has quite possibly the most evil legacy of any American in the 20th century.

2. Piece of shit war criminal.

3. Fuck him

4. When he talks his voice sounds like a robot running low on battery

5. Pure evil.

6. I think his shuttle diplomacy has largely been a net negative for the US.

7. War criminal

8. [removed]

9. I heard on a podcast once (sorry I cannot remember which one… Maybe Behind the Bastards) that Henry Kissinger is the Forest Gump of war crimes. That pretty much sums it up.

10. War criminal who has a lot of blood on his hands. Him receiving the Nobel Peace Prize feels like a total farce. Very effective diplomat, though.

11. He’s a brilliant diplomat and propagandist, especially about promoting himself. He’s had a great amount of influence on the world and in shaping America’s place in it even today. As someone studying political science he’s a fascinating figure and some of his books are great to learn about diplomacy and international relations.

    He’s also power hungry and generally lacks morals. He’s caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people because it would benefit him and his interests. He doesn’t really care how he achieves his goals. Overall a very complicated figure.

12. He is very capable and intelligent, but also examplifies the worst of the American government. He should not be remembered fondly, but should be studied carefully and extensively. Regardless of the moral and ethical implications of his legacy, he remains one of the most influential politicians of the twentieth century, and played a major role in shaping the state of the world. In conclusion, I would say he is a competent statesman, a shrewed politician, a cunning strategist, and an awful, awful person.

13. Absolute monster. Behind the Bastards podcast did a 6 parter in him.

14. he was a pos in the 60’s and 70’s. he’s still a pos.

15. Evil war criminal, plain and simple.

16. “Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands”

    – Anthony Bourdain

17. Evil personified. He has done more to cause long term harm, risk of attacks and injury to reputation of the US than probably any person in our history. His name should be vilified and he should be imprisoned for crimes against humanity and war crimes for however much of his despicable life he has left. Fuck him.

18. [If I say what I’d like to happen to Kissinger, I’m in big trouble. In biiig trouble.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wtvXoXh0VU)

19. Awful person whose actions led to thousands of innocent deaths. Him living to 100 really proves life isn’t fair.

20. The despicable are able to live long, fruitful, and healthy lives free of pain

21. I try not to ever think of him, but if you want to hear about how heinous he is, listen to the Behind the Bastards podcast on him! WOW, what a POS…

22. I don’t believe in hell but people like Kissinger make me wish I did

23. If there’s a hell, it would be too nice of a place for him to go

24. A turd who ruined thousands of lives for no reason.

    R.I.H.

25. Amoral monster.

26. I can’t believe he’s still alive

27. They have a room for him in the Hague.

28. Lots of people died too soon. And yet, this fucker still lives.

29. I have nothing positive to say about him

30. A Life sentence in a Cambodian prison seems reasonable

31. “he has been relevant in US foreign policy for like, six decades”

    I wish he hadnt been thats for sure…

32. I think he was an important figure in the 60s and 70s. But since then I’d say his influence is overrated. He hasn’t held an official position since then and a lot of his commentary has just been boilerplate realpolitik.

    Similarly, I always find that his left wing critics tend to really exaggerate when talking about him. For example, I think it’s reasonable to criticize him for his policies on Cambodia. But I’ve never understood why he’s the only one from the Nixon administration who they ever blame for it.

33. He makes me think of a Twain quote, the one about how he’s never wished anyone death, but he has read some obituaries with great pleasure. Let’s just say I hope his is accurate rather than glowing. Still looking forward to reading it.

34. The podcast “Behind the Bastards” has a great 6 part episode on how much of a piece of shit Kissinger is, if anyone is interested. Fantastic podcast in general that I highly recommend.

35. I think he was an important figure in the 60s and 70s. But since then I’d say his influence is overrated. He hasn’t held an official position since then and a lot of his commentary has just been boilerplate realpolitik.

    Similarly, I always find that his left wing critics tend to really exaggerate when talking about him. For example, I think it’s reasonable to criticize him for his policies on Cambodia. But I’ve never understood why he’s the only one from the Nixon administration who they ever blame for it.

36. He is an interesting person. He was demonized. Not that he was not a finish-the-thought, because he was. But a lot of people think of him as a focus of conspiracy theories which is all wrong.

    He is in many ways a throwback. More like Metternich or Castlereigh than a modern American politician which is much of the reason for ill feeling. At that time he would be a hero. He was good at foreign policy though he may have a blind side at thinking to much from the perspective of the powerful and may discount nationalism as untidy though I have read him admiring nationalism in both allies like Israel and enemies like North Vietnam.

    In a way he has the opposite faults of many amateur political junkies. The first often don’t realize that international politics more resembles the culture of the mafia than anything else: all their talk about “trust” and “understanding” points out their failure to realize that nations may have friends but governments do not. Kissinger has the opposite fault. He understands mafia politics very well and seems to thrive on it, but does not understand idealism though he is intelligent enough to know it exists.

37. He single-handedly exemplifies the greatest of our capabilities and the least of our morality.

    A lot of people here talking about how different – implicitly better – the would could be, right now, if it hadn’t been for him. I would take it a step further and ask, how different would the world be if all that shrewdness, strategy, and statesmanship had been turned to making the world better for everyone, instead of just American oligarchical interests?

38. He also said Bosnia shouldn’t exist, it’s a mistake that western powers supported its independence in the 1990s.

    Considering the genocide that took place there, I think it’s obvious Bosnia needs to exist. Obviously Kissinger wasn’t in government anymore during that time, but still, to me this is more than a “bad take.”

39. All these responses and not one Monty Python mention?

    Henry Kissinger

    How I’m missing yer

    You’re so chubby and so neat

    With your funny clothes and your squishy nose

    You’re like a German parakeet

    All right so people say that you don’t care

    But you’ve got nicer legs than Hitler

    And bigger tits than Cher

    “Henry Kissinger”

    song by Monty Python