Just normal American Utopia...

[BigRedBuster]

I really need to learn more about him.  I’ve always found him fascinating. Here’s an interesting thread.  
 

 

[BigRedBuster]

I also don’t disagree with Anthony. 
 

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

3 hours ago, BigRedBuster said:

I also don’t disagree with Anthony. 
 

 

Kissinger is the epitome of Realpolitik and realist interpretations of international relations. He's seen as being a brilliant and tactical statesman who's indifference to causing untold amounts of human suffering is perfectly okay since he did so with the belief that what he was doing was beneficial to America during the Cold War.

 

The only problem, of course, was that his actions were rarely good for America and his entire approach - and that of conservatives and adherents to realism like Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld - is that they're morons who don't see (or care) about the long term consequences of their actions.

 

Whether you're Vladimir Putin, Henry Kissinger, or Donald Rumsfeld, orchestrating human suffering for political benefits rarely goes to plan and almost always blows up in their faces at the earliest possible moment. But we have to act like these are smart people when they're just power hungry morons. These aren't particularly intelligent people, they just don't care what happens in their pursuit of power. 

[RedDenver]

6 hours ago, ZRod said:

Also, a lot less of a war criminal. 

True

[ZRod]

1 hour ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

Kissinger is the epitome of Realpolitik and realist interpretations of international relations. He's seen as being a brilliant and tactical statesman who's indifference to causing untold amounts of human suffering is perfectly okay since he did so with the belief that what he was doing was beneficial to America during the Cold War.

 

The only problem, of course, was that his actions were rarely good for America and his entire approach - and that of conservatives and adherents to realism like Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld - is that they're morons who don't see (or care) about the long term consequences of their actions.

 

Whether you're Vladimir Putin, Henry Kissinger, or Donald Rumsfeld, orchestrating human suffering for political benefits rarely goes to plan and almost always blows up in their faces at the earliest possible moment. But we have to act like these are smart people when they're just power hungry morons. These aren't particularly intelligent people, they just don't care what happens in their pursuit of power. 

They call it Realpolitik, we'd probably call it sociopathy.

[BigRedBuster]

1 hour ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

Kissinger is the epitome of Realpolitik and realist interpretations of international relations. He's seen as being a brilliant and tactical statesman who's indifference to causing untold amounts of human suffering is perfectly okay since he did so with the belief that what he was doing was beneficial to America during the Cold War.

 

The only problem, of course, was that his actions were rarely good for America and his entire approach - and that of conservatives and adherents to realism like Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld - is that they're morons who don't see (or care) about the long term consequences of their actions.

 

Whether you're Vladimir Putin, Henry Kissinger, or Donald Rumsfeld, orchestrating human suffering for political benefits rarely goes to plan and almost always blows up in their faces at the earliest possible moment. But we have to act like these are smart people when they're just power hungry morons. These aren't particularly intelligent people, they just don't care what happens in their pursuit of power. 

I think Kissinger was an extremely smart person....that oversaw some absolutely horrible things.

 

What I find so interesting is that so many people, in the same position, would have been washed to the side in politics.  But, instead, he remained so influential for so many years after.  Even foreign leaders would contact him for his advice.  And, I'm not talking about just evil dictators that wanted to do the same thing he did in Cambodia.  

 

I find that all very interesting.

[Dr. Strangelove]

2 hours ago, BigRedBuster said:

I think Kissinger was an extremely smart person....that oversaw some absolutely horrible things.

 

What I find so interesting is that so many people, in the same position, would have been washed to the side in politics.  But, instead, he remained so influential for so many years after.  Even foreign leaders would contact him for his advice.  And, I'm not talking about just evil dictators that wanted to do the same thing he did in Cambodia.  

 

I find that all very interesting.

It's more accurate to say he could be smart at times but also incredibly stupid in others. I don't know if it's cold hearted Realpolitik to not think about the long term consequences of implementing long term human suffering for political gain or if he was just not competent enough to think about said long term consequences of his actions. 

 

Like other people who wish to control and exert power in politics, the answer is sadly the latter. It never occurred to Putin that his invasion of Ukraine would be an epic disaster that would expand his borders with NATO by hundreds of miles nor did it occur to Rumsfeld that a a half baked idea to invade a country with no exit strategy would yield anything other than terrible results.

 

These people aren't particularly smart, they just are willing to do things that you and I wouldn't consider: which is an indifference to how their actions harm people as long as it forges some political power they can wield. 

[Toe]

[TGHusker]

What is it about the number 3.  This seems to happen so often - the ultimate 'waiting for the 3rd shoe to drop':

First Roselynn Carter

2nd Henry Kissinger 

3rd Sandra Day O'Conner 

All 3 political figures.  

 

https://www.axios.com/2023/12/01/sandra-day-oconnor-dies-supreme-court

[BigRedBuster]

Didn’t have another thread to put this in.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture like this of the Arizona. 
 

 

[BigRedBuster]

I'm getting a kick out of watching this.

 

Kansas came out with new license plates and they were so bad, the state stopped making them.  Now...everyone gets to vote.

 

FYI...I'm not getting a kick out of this because it's Kansas.  It's because I find people's attitudes towards license plate design funny.

 

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

On 11/30/2023 at 7:36 AM, Dr. Strangelove said:

Kissinger is the epitome of Realpolitik and realist interpretations of international relations. He's seen as being a brilliant and tactical statesman who's indifference to causing untold amounts of human suffering is perfectly okay since he did so with the belief that what he was doing was beneficial to America during the Cold War.

 

The only problem, of course, was that his actions were rarely good for America and his entire approach - and that of conservatives and adherents to realism like Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld - is that they're morons who don't see (or care) about the long term consequences of their actions.

 

Whether you're Vladimir Putin, Henry Kissinger, or Donald Rumsfeld, orchestrating human suffering for political benefits rarely goes to plan and almost always blows up in their faces at the earliest possible moment. But we have to act like these are smart people when they're just power hungry morons. These aren't particularly intelligent people, they just don't care what happens in their pursuit of power. 

 

Just wondering if you heard the rumor that Henry Kissinger was the inspiration for your avatar. 

[Dr. Strangelove]

37 minutes ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

 

Just wondering if you heard the rumor that Henry Kissinger was the inspiration for your avatar. 

I've never heard that Kissinger was an inspiration behind the character, although perhaps he may have been!

 

Dr. Strangelove represents murdering fascism and the idea of diminished masculinity manifesting itself in sexuality. The idea of men becoming less manly is a right wing talking point that goes back more than 100 years, and often lead to morons ideas of diminished masculinity seriously and coming into power (See models of masculinity under Benito Mussolini as an example).

 

We're fortunate to live in a time when the American public - full of educated individuals - can see these moronic right wing talking points from miles away. The modern Republican Party is full of individuals who recognize this danger and they full on reject the fascist playbook that dates back more than a century. The voters that make up the modern Republican Party party are smart, reasonable people that aren't easily duped into falling for the exact same thing previous political parties fell victim to dating back to the early 1900s. No sir, if there's one thing I know about Republican voters, as evidenced by frequent posters on this message board, is that they are students of history and they're well acquainted to seeing the danger coming from Donald Trump. They take these dangers seriously and in no way do they dismiss them. Because who could miss the OBVIOUS signs and WILLFULLY ignore them?

[Guy Chamberlin]

21 minutes ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

I've never heard that Kissinger was an inspiration behind the character, although perhaps he may have been!

 

 

 

Just looked it up, and while both Kubrick and Sellars say Kissinger was not the model for Strangelove, they appreciated the similarities after the fact. The more likely prototype was rocket scientist Werner von Braun, who developed the V-2 bomb for Hitler before emigrating to the U.S., to be "our guy" although he never really abandoned his Nazi sensibilities. 

 

"Mein Furher! I can walk!"

 

 

[TGHusker]

51 minutes ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

I've never heard that Kissinger was an inspiration behind the character, although perhaps he may have been!

 

Dr. Strangelove represents murdering fascism and the idea of diminished masculinity manifesting itself in sexuality. The idea of men becoming less manly is a right wing talking point that goes back more than 100 years, and often lead to morons ideas of diminished masculinity seriously and coming into power (See models of masculinity under Benito Mussolini as an example).

 

We're fortunate to live in a time when the American public - full of educated individuals - can see these moronic right wing talking points from miles away. The modern Republican Party is full of individuals who recognize this danger and they full on reject the fascist playbook that dates back more than a century. The voters that make up the modern Republican Party party are smart, reasonable people that aren't easily duped into falling for the exact same thing previous political parties fell victim to dating back to the early 1900s. No sir, if there's one thing I know about Republican voters, as evidenced by frequent posters on this message board, is that they are students of history and they're well acquainted to seeing the danger coming from Donald Trump. They take these dangers seriously and in no way do they dismiss them. Because who could miss the OBVIOUS signs and WILLFULLY ignore them?

You forgot one or two of these