Henry Kissinger is gone, at 100 years. Some will mourn him, while others, including myself, preferred he face judgement for crimes against humanity in Vietnam, Chile, and beyond, long ago.
Judgement is a cultured expression for less dignified revenge. As Eastwood's "Unforgiven" hitman's revenge tale concludes: "We all got it comin'". But that may also be an evasion from deeper truths.
Kissinger's rise to intellectual prominence, and eventually to power via the Rockefellers, among other energy interests, rested on a hash analysis of 19th Century "Great Power" conflicts. I say hash, because it contained very little original thought, and furthermore, Kissinger was keenly aware that the intellectual framework's sole value was as a fungible fraud to cover the real purpose of post war IS foreign policy -- namely, the removal or compromise of ALL obstacles to US Big Business --- aka "monopoly capitalism" --- expansion and dominion over markets, supply chains, and Security throughout the world. Contrary to the intuition of most Americans, I submit the historical evidence, and actual NSA documentation reported on extensively by Seymour Hersh, demonstrates that the expansion of capitalism is the ONLY thing meant by the worldwide "defense of democracy".
Socialist countries, and socialist or communist led patriotic liberation movements in former colonies, were the chief adversaries of the 'Kiss' strategies. The Kiss strategy ran into disaster in Vietnam, where a far superior military force, was defeated by a patriotic movement with mass support. 2 million Vietnamese perished. In their country they are heroes. 50,000 Americans perished, including two of my childhood friends. What did the 50, 000 Americans die for? To keep communists from winning both the elections and civil war against colonialism in Vietnam? Of all the things impinging on the working and living standards and security of working class families in the US, how many are caused by communism, or socialism?
Despite this monumental failure, the Kiss strategy persists, respected in both parties. But we lost more than the 50,000 souls sacrificed in Vietnam. In the resistance to the war, and the massive struggle for civil rights, and their suppression by assassinations, terror, and further corporate consolidation of political and economic power -- the many frauds could not conceal the fact that we, as a nation, had become infected with a cancer, whose cure is not in sight. And it is killing us.
Vietnam was followed by Iraq, endless intrigues and assassinations fostered by the CIA to similar effects, and now Russia and Palestinians. Argentina prolly next.
"We all got it comin'"!
That's the existential view, not the Marxist, or Communist view, or even the Quaker view. As individuals, yes, we come and then go. RIP Henry Kissinger. I do not believe in either heaven or hell, despite their value in storytelling.
It's not necessarily "comin' for ALL of US.
As peoples, as vast, potentially global family, social and political formations, we can both survive, and progress, and remake the world within the measure of human and material conditions handed down to us.
Or not.
I think the most scientific approach is generally the most optimistic. But as AI practice and research is demonstrating, the most scientific approach tends to be the one encompassing the broadest and richest data. It is in that sense, I believe that democracy has its most profound contribution. Far more profound than the current frauds reflected in contests between two "for sale" political parties.
That "for sale" expression is not intended to make Trump, a fascist creep, equivalent to Biden, a decent human being if nonetheless hostage to the same fundamental Kissingerism.
The best eulogy for the Kiss: Lets Move On!
