Kissinger

26 thoughts on “Kissinger”

1. Henry Kissinger is the mastermind of many American involvements
   Kissinger was the architect of American foreign policy over the past decades.
   He was born in Germany to a Jewish family, around the time of the Nazis.
   Often harassed by Nazi kids.
   In 1938 he fled Nazi Germany to London then to New York
   Founder of a school of politics.
   Becomes a ruthless man. It’s the foreign policy and wasn’t afraid of supporting criminal activities.
   When the war was coming to an end and America was entering Germany and needed a German speaker, Kissinger was recruited as an officer to help speak.
   Becomes in charge of a small town and has his first experience of politics in Germany.
   When Nixon becomes president, Kissinger joins his cabinet first as a security advisor then as the Secretary of State. He was heavily trusted by Nixon.
   Believed that since the existential threat was mutual means that both sides would be open to negotiations
   The Cuban revolution changed the face of the continent. Many political movements know there is a way to control the government.
   Kissinger’s notorious chapters in the foreign policy involve America and Chile.

   I really enjoyed learning about Kissinger. It’s amazing how a man that has lived through so much is still alive today. He lived through Nazi’s ruling and the second world war, which seems like such an accomplishment. Additionally, he became such an important figure in the U.S. with his many political jobs. The fact that he has affected so much of today’s society with foreign policy is also amazing. It makes me a little curious about what specifically he did about foreign policy. What exactly is the foreign policy that Kissinger was involved in?

2. Stacy Keta
   Notes:
   America played a big role in Latin America during the Cold War and up until the Iraq War.
   U.S Foreign Policy evolved and continues to change.
   Kissinger was the mastermind behind these actions. He was an architect of the foreign policy in the last 50-60 years.
   The consequences of his policies are still around. He was important in U.S and global politics.
   He was born in Germany, grew up during the rise of the Nazi’s.
   Had a rough childhood which can relate to his understanding of power and actions.
   Was the founder of the school of thought/politics- Realism: politics without morality.
   He becomes a ruthless man especially concerning foreign policy and to achieve goals. He even supported criminal activity especially in Latin America.
   Kissinger moved to the U.S during the war and went to college.
   The U.S started it’s advance into Germany when they were on the verge of collapse.
   They needed German speaking people in which he applied to the army. He became an officer and went to Germany. First time he was involved in politics at a young age.
   He joined Nixon’s cabinet as security advisor and secretary of state.
   Nixon fully trusted him and implemented his ideas.
   His opinion became important for U.S Foreign Policy especially in the 60’s.
   From 1965-77, he was in a position where he shaped U.S Foreign Policy effectively.
   Concept of detente- he took a similar approach.
   Best thing to do is divide the world by negotiation and diplomacy in his opinion.
   If the existential threat is mutual- then mutual containment within the superpowers is important.
   Since they could’ve destroyed each other especially during times of nuclear advances, both sides opened for negotiation.
   Detente which is a way of saying peace was his policy; diffuse tension, then when energies are relaxed you can negotiate.
   If they decide mutually about a territory, then there is no need to fight.
   As they divided the world, it was assumed that Latin America would be in the U.S orbit.
   The Cuban Revolution had an impact on this, however, and it transformed the fate of the continent.
   Many political movements were leaning towards the left.
   Guerilla groups, socialist parties, facism, were crucial.
   Chapter of Chile and Argentina was a sad one in Kissinger’s career.

   Notes:
   It’s an interesting dynamic between Kissinger and the United States. Without his involvement, things might have taken a dramatic turn so this is thought provoking. I found his background and upbringing influential to his actions. What struck me was how his ideas still have lasting impacts today. Additionally, I thought the concept of Detente to be effective so the fact that Kissinger utilized it showed a lot about his competency. It’s intriguing to know he was a part of much of America’s history and that things could have gone south without him. The fact that Nixon put his trust into him says a lot about his character so overall he seemed like a decent and smart guy.

3. – The document discussed the role the Americans played during the cold war in Latin America.
   -Henry Kissinger was an important figure as he was the mastermind behind all the American involvements.
   -The writer of the book, Greg Grandin was a great historian who shows that the trajectory the American foreign policy over the last 50-60 years.
   -Kissinger was born in Germany to a Jewish Family in 1923 (almost 100 years ago and still is alive). He lives in Connecticut.
   -As a young Jewish boy in the 1930s, he grew up during the Nazis and was often harassed by Nazis Children.
   – In 1938 he and his family fled German Nazis to move to London and then to New York.
   – Kissinger was the founder of the school of thought in politics that is known as realism.
   – In realism, there is no idealism in politics; it is a play of forces that to gain the upper hand, the end must justify the means. Basically, it is politics without morality.

   Since Kissinger had an unpleasant childhood, he learned early that a person cannot wait for things to happen of their own accord, he had to take charge. He became a ruthless man in foreign policy in order to achieve the goals he regarded significant in the U.S. Because his young life was difficult and a life no child deserves, his belief in violence is understanding. T Kissinger’s upbringing shaped his view of the world and made him see the flaws in it. He did not shy away from supporting any kind of criminal activities around the world, especially in Latin America. He actively learned about politics when he joins the counterintelligence after becoming an officer in the American Army. He was clever enough to have a close relationship with President Nixon so that he would have a lot of power. His concept of Détente was crucial in hindering a nuclear war. he believed that when superpowers have high tension the best way to bring peace is to divide the world among them by negotiation and diplomacy. This is a wise suggestion and it might have saved our world from catastrophe. Kissinger’s methods may seem harsh but they were effective.

4. Alvin liu
   Notes on Kissinger:
   -Kissinger was of jewish descend who. was born in Germany.
   -Still alive today.
   -Born during the Holocaust and harassed by Nazis
   -Fleed Nazi Germany and eventually settled in America.
   -“Realism” – politics without morality.
   -Kissinger applied to become an officer in Germany and was in charge of a small town.
   -Layed out American strategies to deal with powerful countries like China and U.S.S.R.
   -Kissinger helped diplomatically divided the world into different blocks between the U.S and U.S.S.R.
   -Latin America was generally in America’s influence until the Cuban Revolution.

   While watching the video, it baffles me how the lives of so many people are in the hands of a few powerful men. Unfortunately it was in the hands of a man called Henry Kissinger who was the mastermind behind so much coup attempts and instability in Latin America just to make sure that the countries are under U.S thumb. I wonder if he feel any guilt or shame in what he did now that he is getting old. I also have no idea why politicians continue to seek advice from him and who awarded him a nobel peace prize?

5. Julia Pedersen

   Notes:
   Mastermind behind American involvements and the architect of American foreign policy over the last 50/60 years.
   It gives information about how the U.S. Foreign Policy changed over the years and gives a good background for the Iraq war.
   Gradin was a great historian who shows us the trajectory that America took to get to the Iraq war.
   He was born to a Jewish family in 1923 and is still alive in Connecticut.
   As a young Jewish boy in Germany, during the rise of the Nazis and Hitler has come to power, he grew up in an environment in which he was harassed by Nazi youth. He loved soccer, but it was forbidden for Jews, since they could not leave their ghettoes. He would sneak out sometimes, but would get caught and beaten up. His family left Germany in 1938. He was living in America during WWII.
   This gives us a good background for his decision-making process.
   He is the founder of a school of thought and politics.
   According to this, there is no idealism in politics. There is a play in forces and all means can be justified to achieve a goal.
   He becomes a ruthless man in foreign policy. He didn’t shy away from supporting criminal activity from around the world, such as in Latin America.
   He goes to college at City College and studies accounting. The war breaks out when he is barely 20 and the Nazis are on the verge of collapse. Americans desperately need soldiers who can speak German and he becomes an officer. He went back to Germany and he became in charge of a small town in which he ran a bureaucracy. Then he joins counterintelligence. This is how he learned the backgrounds of politics.
   Soviet Russia divides Germany with the Berlin Wall. There was tension between the two super powers.
   When Nixon becomes president, Kissinger joins his cabinet and eventually becomes the Secretary of State. Nixon trusted him and his judgement. Everything Kissinger advised was approved. Kissinger’s opinion became hugely important for foreign policy.
   In the 60s to late 70s, Kissinger remained in power and shaped US foreign policy effectively.
   When there are superpowers in the world with huge armies and powerful enough to pose threats to each other, the best thing to do is divide the world amongst them with diplomacy. Mutual containment- everyone of them could destroy the other country and/or the whole world with nuclear weapons.
   Diffusing tensions between negotiations and diplomacy. THe you can make political, cultural, and economic decisions.
   He thought that if we decided which country belonged to whom, there would be no need for fighting.
   Cuban revolution transformed the fate of the continent. There is a domino effect where there were many movements in which people realized they could take power. There were different groups from around the continent, then socialist leaders came from them.

   Personal Thoughts:
   Though Kissinger was known to be a ruthless man with his foreign policy, he forever shaped it in the United States. With his background of growing up as a Jewish boy in Nazi Germany, I find it remarkable how much he went on to accomplish. During the 20th century, many different things went on around the world, including both WWI and WWII and the Cold War. This is not an easy time to lead during, but his guidance had an effect on foreign policy here whether good or bad. I find his approach to foreign policy interesting, especially where he promoted diffusing situations rather than growing in tensions.

6. Amanda Ng

   Notes:
   -Henry Kissenger was the mastermind behind the American involvements
   -Greg Grandin was a great historian
   -Kissenger was the architect of the American foreign policy for 50 years
   -Kissenger was born to a Jewish family in Germany
   -He grew up in a Nazi era, frequently harassed by Nazi kids
   -in 1938, he fled to London with his family
   -He is the founder of realism
   -Realism is politics without morality
   -He became a ruthless man
   -He moved to the U.S. and lived in Washington Heights
   -American army advances into Germany
   -Kissenger becomes an officer in the American army
   -Political tensions became high
   -When Nixon becomes president, Kissenger joins his cabinet and Nixon fully trusted him
   -detente (relaxing in French) occurs so that negotiation can happen
   -The Cuban Revolution transformed the fate of the continent
   -The most notorious chapters of his foreign policy involve Chile and Argentina

   Comment:

   I think it was really interesting to learn about Kissenger’s background because it really does show how his reign and decisions were influenced by his tough childhood and trauma. He became a ruthless person but when he became in power, he shaped the U.S. so much so that it is still relevant today. Although he was a ruthless person, he was wise and knew how to gain power. I am curious to know more about the foreign policies that involve Chile and Argentina.

7. -This book discusses in detail about the role Americans played, especially the cold war in Latin America and different countries.
   -It focused on the figure of Kissinger who was the mastermind behind all the Americans’ involvements.
   -U.S foreign policy changed and evolved over the course of 20 30 years to 9/11.
   -Gives a background of the Iraq war.
   -Kissinger was the architect for American foreign policy over the last 50-60 years.
   -Consequences of his policy are still around. All presidents and secretaries of state are influenced by him and regularly meet him.
   -Remains a present voice even to this day.
   -Born in Germany to a Jewish family in 1923 (rise of the nazis)
   -He was harassed by nazi kids and he loved soccer. Forbidden for Jews.
   -He fled Nazi Germany in 1938/
   -Tough childhood gives a good background explaining his decision making process in the future or his understanding of power.
   -Founder of the school of thought in politics or realism.
   Realism is politics without morality.
   -Becomes ruthless in foreign policy in order to achieve the goals that he believed was significant for the U.S.
   -Even supported criminal activity in Latin America.
   -He moves to the U.S right when the war begins.
   -The American army started their advance into Germany.
   -Army needed people who spoke and understood German and he applied for it.
   -He becomes an officer to the Army and goes back to Germany. He becomes in charge of a small town and learns about politics at a young age.
   -He joins his cabinet as a security advisor and then secretary of state.
   -Nixon trusted him and implemented everything he advised.
   -His opinion became important for the U.S foreign policy.
   -1965-1967 he is in a position to shape U.S foreign policy and does it efficiently.
   -When there are superpowers and are powerful the best thing to do is to divide the world among the world among them with negotiations and diplomacy to decrease tensions.
   -Both the Sides are open to negotiations.
   -The solution was Detente and it was saying peace, diffusing the tension through negotiations and diplomacy and when the situation is relaxed to know what to give and what to get.
   -Decided what was their territory instead of a war.
   -Latin America it was assumed to be in U.S orbit
   -The Cuban revolution transformed the fate of the continent. It was a domino effect and many governments or movements lean toward the left of taking power to control the government.
   -Kissinger’s two well known chapters were the foreign policy involving America and Chile.
   Comments:
   It is true what people say that what environment you grow up with shapes you to be who you are. I actually really liked this video because I was able to learn more about Kissinger and how his past in a way influenced him to be who he is now. He had lived through a hard time and survived through the Second World War. It is just interesting to know that someone has the knowledge. His idea of negotiations and diplomacy had helped not only end a war but also came to the point where now it is heavily used in U.S foreign policy. It is always interesting to know that someone can have such an impact on a country and still be used now. His idea of diplomacy and negotiations was smart because people are always willing to fight but never realize the consequences it has on others. But the idea of diplomacy helped keep calm between these superpowers.
   -Parneet Kaur

8. Kissinger:
   – Shows that GB decisions after 9/11 had reason behind it
   – Kissinger had a large impact on American foreign policy for the last couple decades
   – Kissinger, German and born to a Jewish family
   – As a young Jewish boy in Germany during the Nazi era, dealt with a lot of abuse and harassment (tough childhood)
   – Liked watching soccer but wasn’t able to watch too many games because he was Jewish and couldn’t leave ghettoes
   – Fled to London than New York
   – His tough childhood explains a lot of his ideas on power
   – Didn’t shy away from supporting criminal activity if he felt it would advance the U.S. agenda
   – Went to City College and studied accounting, soon the war started and he joined the military as someone who spoke German
   – Works as an officer and worked closely with the FBI
   – After Berlin Wall was built, the political tension increased
   – When Nixon becomes president, Kissinger joins cabinet as Security Adviser and later Secretary of State
   – Nixon trusted Kissinger’s judgment a lot, very close relationship
   – From 1965-1977, Kissinger remains in power, shapes U.S. foreign policy
   – When the two superpowers of the world have a conflict, the best thing to do is increase diplomacy and attempt to create good relationships with a majority of the world, leads to a state of mutual containment
   – Detent, relaxing, lower tensions and negotiate
   – U.S. and Soviet should decide which countries belong to who, leaves no reason to fight, stay in charge of territories, break the world into different pieces
   – Latin America was assumed to be in U.S. orbit, Cuban revolution led Latin America to change sides, guerrillas movements, socialists parties become more prominent
   – Coupe in Chile and the militias in Argentina eliminate activists in Latin America to keep the area controlled by the U.S.

   I have always known about Kissinger being a notorious leader but to the extent he went is pretty absurd. One comment I want to make is wasn’t the U.S. following the detent foreign policy before WWII, isn’t it what led to Hitler’s invasion of Poland and Slovakia? In my opinion the idea of detent doesn’t seem to be too effective and there could have been a different way to handle the Soviet Union, however it is good because it looks to keep the peace.

9. Alan Tupac

   Notes on Kissinger:

   -Henry Kissinger was the mastermind behind all of those American involvements in Latin America during the Cold War.
   -U.S. foreign policy changed and evolved over 20 years spanning from the Nixon administration to 9/11.
   -George W. Bush’s decision during the Iraq war was a result of decades of U.S. foreign policy in Latin America over the last 50 years.
   -All modern-day politicians are influenced by Henry Kissinger.
   -Kissinger was born in Germany in 1923 to a Jewish family.
   -Kissinger grew up in an antisemitism environment and this was because the Nazi party was rising the ranks in Germany at the time.
   -Kissinger fled Nazi Germany in 1938 and later on moved to the United States.
   -Kissinger was a founder of the school of thought in politics known as realism
   -Realism is politics without mortality, all means are justified to achieve a common goal.
   -Kissinger wasn’t ashamed to support any criminal acts to achieve his goals and this can be seen with his policy in Latin America.
   -Kissinger lived in Harlem and Matt ended a Cuny school.
   -Kissinger becomes an officer in the American army and moves back to Germany and works for the U.S. government.
   -The U.S. and the Soviet Union divided Germany resulting in the Berlin Wall.
   -Kissinger joins Nixon’s cabinet when he became president.
   -Kissinger option became extremely important for U.S. foreign policy.
   -Kissinger believed that the superpowers of the world would stay stable because of the fear that the other superpower would destroy them which allows these superpowers to negotiate.
   -If the superpowers decide which territory belongs to them, the other superpower stays away.
   -Latin America was in the U.S. sphere of influence because of its proximity to the USA and because most governments in Latin America had friendly relations with the U.S.
   -The Cuban revolution transformed the fate of the continent and this had a domino effect in the rest of Latin America which resulted in multiple gorilla movements across to continent to seize power from the governments.
   -Socialist parties became prominent as a result and gained power in Latin American governments.
   -Kissinger’s U.S. foreign policy was used in Chile and Argentina

   Comments:

   I was very intrigued by Henry Kissinger’s life and his contribution towards the U.S. government relating to American foreign policy not just across Latin America, but the whole world as well. I was very surprised to learn that Kissinger was originally born in Germany to a Jewish family and how he and his family managed to flee from Nazi Germany to the UK and eventually settle in the United States. In addition, it was surprising to learn that Kissinger had so much access and trust while he was working for the U.S. governing and how close he was to a former president of the United States. Lastly, it was interesting to learn that Kissinger returned to Germany despite the nation being a major center of antisemitism just a short time ago.

10. Joseph Guedalia

    Notes:
    -Henry Kissinger was the mastermind behind a lot of the US’s involvement in Latin America during the cold war
    -He affected the last 50 years of US foreign policy
    -All presidents no matter republican or democrat are impacted based on their decisions
    -Was born to a German Jewish family, was a young Jewish boy in the 1930s (he grew up in Nazi Germany)
    -He was frequently harassed by Nazi kids
    -He loved soccer but couldn’t go cause he was Jewish snuck in and got beat up
    -His family eventually fled to the US
    -He is the founder of the Realism school of thought- according to this there is no idealism- politics without morality, all about power grabs
    -He moved to Washington Heights, went to CUNY, and studied accounting
    -Kissinger became an officer in the US army as someone who spoke German
    -He worked in the counterintelligence unit
    -From an early age he learned about foreign policy from watching and experiencing what was going on in Germany
    -The U.S. and the Soviet Union divided Germany resulting in the Berlin Wall
    -Kissinger joins Nixon’s cabinet when he became president as security advisor
    -Kissinger opinion became extremely important for U.S. foreign policy
    -From 1965-1977 he was in a position of power to affect the US foreign policy
    -Kissinger believed that the superpowers of the world would stay stable because of the fear that the other superpower would destroy them which allows these superpowers to negotiate and keep away from the big red button
    -His system was to keep these things relaxed and then there can be negotiation
    -If the superpowers decide which territory belongs to them, the other superpower stays away.
    -Latin America was in the U.S. sphere of influence because of its proximity to the USA and because most governments in Latin America had friendly relations with the U.S.
    -The Cuban revolution transformed the fate of the continent and this had a domino effect in the rest of Latin America which resulted in multiple gorilla movements across to continent to seize power from the governments.
    -Socialist parties became prominent as a result and gained power in Latin American governments.
    -Kissinger’s U.S. foreign policy was used in Chile and Argentina

    Comments:
    I thought it was very interesting to think about the way Kissinger grew up as it relates to his success in foreign policy. His traumatic experience as a Jewish kid in Nazi Germany he learned resiliency and how to fight immorality. You would expect that to lead to him having a very moral perspective. However, his realistic approach shows how he came to terms with evil in the world and realized that you have to use immoral power grabs as a launching pad to get things done.

11. 11/22/21

    Blog on Kissinger

    -Henry Kissinger was a person who shaped the course of American foreign policy for approx. 50 years. The consequences for his policies are still felt today
    -Kissinger had Jewish roots and was born in Germany.
    -Left Germany for London and then the U.S. due to Nazi oppresion in 1938
    -Loved Soccer as a child, but could not attend games and would get beaten up if he snuck in.
    -Had a tough childhood that may have contributed to how and why he chose his foreign policy decisions
    -He went to CUNY for accounting when he lived in New York
    -He applied for the U.S. army and worked as an officer.
    -When Nixon becomes POTUS, Kissinger joins his Cabinet as security advisor then as Secretary of State. Nixon and Kissinger were close and basically all of Kissinger’s suggestions were implemented
    -Kissinger coined Detente to cover the strategy the U.S. should employ towards other superpowers such as China or Russia. Detente stipulated the easing of tension through diplomacy between superpowers in order to avoid armed conflict. The alternative was nuclear war which would have led to mutual destruction of these superpowers.
    – Cuban Revolution leads to domino effect of Latin American governments moving closer to the left. Guerilla groups, socialist parties, etc
    -Kissinger’s most notorious chapter in Latin America

    My key takeaway from this mini biography was that Kissinger’s upbringing as well as his time serving in the U.S. military and seeing behind the scenes of American foreign policy were the things that shaped up the policies he enacted during his time. He was a person who understood what needed to be done in order to bring American ideals and interests abroad. Henry Kissinger tested the limits of American Policy with his involvement in Latin America. He helped fund death squads, orchestrated assassinations and staged coups down there just to implement military dictatorships and destabilize the political scene in Latin America. Kissinger was the man who shaped foreign policy in a way that caused human rights violations in Latin America and the deaths of many people for political reasons. The morality of this foreign policy can be questioned.

12. Ke Han Yu

    – Kissinger was born when the Nazis rose to power.
    – He was harassed by many of the Nazi kids.
    – He was able to escape Nazi Germany and lived in America while WW2 waged on.
    – As a result of his upbringing, he favored a very tough foreign policy
    – Kissinger participated and watched what the United States did in Germany after the war, giving him lots of experience in foreign policy
    – Kissinger believed the best foreign policy during the cold war will be Détente.
    – Kissinger believed that negotiations will be the best way to resolve conflict in the Cold War, even if it means splitting the world between two blocks.

    Comments: I find the reason for his foreign policy to be very interesting. Growing up in a totalitarian regime must’ve been extremely stressful and traumatizing. Even though I would have to agree with Kissinger on focusing on negotiations rather than violence in order to resolve conflicts, I would disagree on how he would go about it. I find it interesting that he would just let the world be divided into two camps just to resolve conflicts. It is similar to the Berlin conference, where the European powers divided Africa manually in order to prevent “conflicts.”

13. Jennifer Lee’s notes
    -article was about the roles American played during cold war in Latin American and other diff countries and how the US foreign policy changed and evolved in course of 20-30 year. Greg Grandin (author)
    -Kissinger was architect of American foreign policy over last 40-50 years and was born in Germany from Jewish parents. He grew up during the rise of Nazi and was frequently harassed by Nazi and fled during 1938 to the US and now opened a school of realism (politics without morality). He became a ruthless man with foreign policy. He also worked in US army.
    -Nixon and Kissinger were very close so his opinions became very important (1960). He lay ideas toward Russia and China. His strategy was diffusing tension through negotiations and diplomacy and when tension is relax then negotiate what to get or get and decide about the war.

    Comment:
    I believe this is the first time I’ve read and learned about Kissinger which is very shocking hence the important role he plays in US foreign policy. I believe his part traumas and living through horrific events like the rise of Nazi really did shape why he acts very cold and harsh now. It is really sad what he went through

14. Bridget Campanelli

    Notes
    America played a huge role in Latin American history
    Kissinger was born in Germany but fled because of Nazis
    Moves to Harlem and goes to CUNY school
    America was looking for people to join the army that could speak German, Kissinger goes and runs a small town
    US and Russia had divided Germany after Berlin Wall was built
    Kissinger was very close with Nixon so his opinion was very important on foreign policy
    When superpowers are powerful enough to pose existential threats the best thing to do is divide the world between them
    Best foreign policy is detente (relaxing); diffusing the tension so you negotiate what each country gets
    If each country gets possession of certain parts of the world, there is no reason to fight
    Each superpower stays in charge of selected territories
    It was assumed the Latin America would be under US power because of geographical location and close relations in government
    Cuban revolution started the rise of socialist parties

    Comment
    This video showed me how much of an impact Kissinger had on the history of Latin America and how much he lived through. He came up with the foreign policy of detente which was very important in easing a lot of the tension that existed between the world superpowers at the time. His upbringing and childhood was difficult which made him ruthless and tough but his background made him cultured in a lot of areas. He was able to join the army and have control over a small town in Germany. Kissinger had a lot of long lasting effect on foreign policy in the US and was responsible for a lot of involvement in Latin America. Something I thought was really interesting was that he went to a CUNY school.

15. Julie Guo
    Notes:
    – Kissinger was born in Germany to a Jewish family
    – Now lives in Connecticut, almost 99 years old
    – He grew up being harassed by Nazi kids
    – Kissinger loved to play soccer and watch soccer but that was forbidden for Jews
    – He fled in 1938, went to London first and then to New York
    – He attends college at City College
    – Kissinger applies for the Army and becomes an officer and goes back to Germany
    – When Nixon becomes President, Kissinger joins his cabinet, first as a security adviser and then as the secretary of state
    – They were very close
    – Nixon trusted him a lot so Kissinger’s opinion became very important for the U.S foreign policy
    – Kissinger’s strategy was diffusing the tension through negotiations and diplomacy and when the situation has relaxed, you can negotiate what to give and what to get
    – Cuban Revolution changed the fate of the continent
    – It also had a domino effect on the rest of the Latin American

    Comment:
    I never knew about Kassinger up until now. It was sad to hear about Kassinger’s childhood and how he was harassed and wasn’t allowed to do many things al because he was Jewish. No one should go through that, especially a child. I can see how his experiences and trauma in his childhood later shaped him as an adult and the decisions he made later on in his life.

16. Alice Gonzalez
    Notes:
    – Kissinger was the architect of the American foreign policy – born in Germany to a Jewish family
    -harassed by Nazi kids -had restrictions
    -founder of the school of thought in politics -no idealism in politics
    -realism is politics without morality
    -Kissinger apply for the army -becomes an officer in the American army
    – learns about foreign policy -Kissinger joins Nixxion’s cabinet -security of the state
    -were very close -thus Kissinger’s opinion become important for U.S foreign policy
    -international relations coined the term to lay out American strategy -superpowers are in a state of mutual containment -relaxing strategy to defuse tensions through negotiations and diplomacy -when the situation is relaxed
    -dividing the world -Latin America was planned to fall under the U.S
    -but then the Cuban revolution transformed the fate of Latin America

    Comments:
    The history of Kissinger was interesting to learn, as the background information of his upbringing can then be evaluated in his future policies. Seeing how he grew up in an environment that bullied him for his religion, he was able to take charge and shape foreign policies to his desire. However, I would like to gain further information on how Kissinger grew to have such a close relation with Nixion, as this connection was incredibly influential to American policies.

17. Nigya Thapa
    Professor Amir Ahmadi
    LTS 1003
    November 22nd, 2021

    COMMENTS:
    I really enjoyed reading the article and learning about Kissinger’s point of view. I think he did a great job of explaining his perspective to the readers who read the article. Based on his background, many of his decisions had a lot to do with what he experienced as a child. I think him growing up as a Jewish man and being restricted from many things enabled him to become a man who took charge. It shaped him to become someone who didn’t wait for change but tried to influence change. It was very interesting to see how much he was able to influence American culture and as well as be trusted by Nixon himself. I think him being very well versed in foreign policy also helped shape his mind in understanding the way many countries formatted change.

18. Tercia Dobrzynski
    Notes:
    – This article went into great detail regarding the role that Americans played, especially during the Cold War, in Latin American countries
    – Henry Kissinger was the architect of American foreign policy over the last 60 years
    – Kissinger was born in Germany in 1923, and fled nazi Germany in 1938
    – He is the founder of the school of thought in politics known as realism
    – Realism is basically politics without morality, almost all means can be justified in order to achieve a goal
    – Kissinger becomes an officer in the army, having being fluent in German, and goes back to Germany
    – He learns and participates a lot in foreign policy at a young age by watching what the United States was doing in Germany
    – When Nixon became president, Kissinger joined his cabinet as the Secretary of State
    – The Cuban revolution had a domino effect to other countries’ governments in Latin America, leading to many guerrilla movements rising all over the continent
    – Two notorious moments in Kissinger’s career were the toppling and killing of Salvador Allende in Chile, and the support of the facist militia in Argentina
    Comments:
    It’s interesting to learn about Kissinger’s background of coming from Germany and being brought up in Nazi Germany. I think it can be related to how he views and practices foreign policy. I did not know he coined the idea of realism, which is interesting. It is always important to recognize one’s background and upbringing when seeings how they act later on. This is also the case for Kissinger, as we can see how he could have used his past and incorporated it in some ways in his foreign policy.

    1. Noshin Ahmed

       Notes:

       -Henry Kissinger was the mastermind behind the American involvement in Latin America.
       -The U.S. foreign changed over the course of 20-30 years (Nixon-911).
       -Greg Grandin is a historian that shows us the change in the U.S. foreign policy went through to finally get to the Iraq war.
       -Kissinger can be considered the architect of American foreign policy over the last 50-60 years.
       -He is an important person in American and global politics, and we still suffer the consequences of his actions.
       -Kissinger was born in Germany to a Jewish family in 1923. He is still alive to this day, and he resides in Connecticut.
       -As a kid, he was harassed by the nazi kids. He was also not able to participate in his hobbies, like playing soccer, because they were forbidden for jews.
       -His family fled Germany in 1938 and then traveled to London then New York.
       -He is the founder of a school of thought in politics known as realism.
       -According to him, there is no idealism in politics, and it is a play of forces where achieving a goal justifies the means. Realism is politic without morality.
       -His childhood affected him and made him become a ruthless man.
       -In order to achieve his goals he supported criminal activity around the world, especially in Latin America.
       -They moved to the U.S. as the war begins and they start living in Harlem.
       -He went to CUNY City College and studied accounting.
       -The war broke out when he was barely 20 years old.
       -The American army started to advance into Germany.
       -The army needed people who could speak German, and Kissinger applied for it. He became an officer in the American army and then went back to Germany.
       -He was in charge of a small town and ran its bureaucracy.
       -Then he joins the counterintelligence section, and he was able to see the behind-the-scenes of politics and worked with the FBI.
       -At a young he was able to learn about foreign policy by watching and participating in what the U.S. was doing to Germany.
       -His experiences affected his decision-making about foreign policy.
       -Kissinger joins Nixon’s cabinet when he became president, first as a security advisor and then as the secretary of state.
       -Nixon and Kissinger were very close, and Nixon trusted him and his advisement. This made Kissinger’s opinion very important in U.S. foreign policy.
       -From 65-77, Kissinger remained in power, and he was in a position to shape foreign policy.
       -Detente is a term he coined to lay out the American strategy towards china ad Russia.
       -When there are superpowers powerful enough to pose existential threats to each other, so the best thing to do is divide the world among them by negotiation and diplomacy.
       -Detente (relaxing) is the best foreign policy in cases where superpowers can destroy one another.
       -As they were dividing the world, Latin America was assumed to be a part of the U.S., but the Cuban revolution changed things.
       – The Cuban revolution led to many political movements and parties that leaned toward the left. Gurelaiia groups and movements started forming, and the socialist party became more prominent.
       -The most notorious chapters of his foreign policy involve Chile and Argentina.

       Comments:

       It was interesting to learn about how Kissinger’s childhood had played a part in his decision-making and shaped him as a human being. For example, Kissinger’s childhood in Germany mostly consisted of being bullied and restricted (since many things were forbidden for Jewish people and he was Jewish), which later caused him to become ruthless. Kissinger’s rise to power was also very interesting to me. He went from a regular college student to a military officer, to a member of the counterintelligence section, to then a security advisor of Nixon’s cabinet, and then finally as the secretary of state for that cabinet. His friendship with Nixion made his opinion more relevant and influential.

19. Ricky Chen
    Notes
    -Kissinger is the architect of American foreign policy over the last 50 to 60 years influencing American politics even today
    -Kissinger was born in Germany to a Jewish family in 1923 and fled Nazi Germany in 1938
    -Kissinger is the founder of realism, politics without morality that justified the means
    -Kissinger attended City College but joins the army as an officer to act as a translator since he knew German
    -Kissinger at a young age took part and learned about foreign affairs
    -When Nixon becomes president, Kissinger joins as a security advisor and then secretary of state
    -Kissinger had the strategy of negotiation and diplomacy between superpowers that pose an existential threat to each other
    -Kissinger had the two nations negotiating which countries belonged to whom and the US assumed the Latin American countries
    -The Cuban revolution started a domino effect of guerrilla movements around the continent and the communist movements taking power

    Comments
    I have never heard of Kissinger until today and he seems to be an interesting figure that shaped a large part of American foreign policies. His childhood and role in World War II seem to have shaped a large part of how he conducts his politics. It is thanks to him that the US and the Soviet Union were able to negotiate and calm the tensions between them. I can’t imagine what would happen if these two superpower countries continued to advance their technology to surpass each other and only grew more tensions.

    1. I as well had never heard of Kissinger, except for maybe a quick mentioning in a history class, despite his obvious importance and prominence in American foreign policy. I also agree that his upbringing and actions throughout his life clearly had impact on his decision making when it came to foreign policy whether conscious or unconscious.
       – Norbert Kopec

20. Norbert Kopec

    Notes:
    – Henry Kissinger could be labeled “the architect” of American foreign policy over the last 50 to 60 years. Consequences of his policies are still around today.
    – Kissinger was born in Germany and is still alive today (98 years old)
    – Kissinger grew up in Nazi society where he was harassed as a Jewish individual. Fled Germany in 1938. This background can be seen to have shaped his decision making
    – Realism can be characterized as politics without morality
    – Kissinger becomes a ruthless man in foreign policy to achieve the goals he saw as important to the US
    – When the war broke out the US was in need of German speaking individuals. As a German citizen Kissinger applied as an officer in the American army
    – By watching and participating in what the US was doing in Germany, Kissinger was able to get a first-hand look at American foreign policy
    – When Nixon became president, Kissinger joined as security advisor and then secretary of state
    – Nixon trusted in Kissinger’s judgement and implemented basically everything that was advised making Kissinger’s opinion important in the US
    – Cuban Revolution transformed the fate of the continent
    – Two of the most notorious chapters in Kissinger’s career as a foreign policy strategist for the US were Chile and Argentina

    Comment:
    I found it interesting to hear about Kissinger’s background in relationship to where he grew up and his participation in the United States army. Despite whether the thought process was conscious or unconscious it is evident that Kissinger growing up in Nazi Germany must have had an underlying effect on his decision making in foreign policy due to the actions and harassment which he had to experience as a child. It was also interesting to see how Kissinger was studying accounting in college and, by sheer chance you could say, they needed German speaking individuals for the US army for which Kissinger chose to participate, leading him to witness and participate in actions revolving foreign policy which would lead him to the career path which he chose. These events would lead him to be one of the most prominent figures in American foreign policy and consequently make his decisions in foreign policy have effects on the United States to this day.

21. Notes:
    Kissinger was a very important person in American politics
    Was born in Germany
    Frequently harassed by Nazi kids
    Fled Nazi Germany to the US
    Founder of realism
    Live in Harlem
    Goes to City college and studies accounting
    War breaks out when he’s 20
    American army advances to Germany
    Kissinger applies to become officer in the army
    Joins Nixon’s cabinet (were very close)
    Kissinger’s opinion was very important
    From 65-77 Kissinger is in a position to shape us power
    Believed that mutual threat = mutual containment
    Both sides open to negotiate
    Strategy was to diffuse the tension through negotiations
    Cuban revolution transformed the fait of the continent

    Learning about Kissinger’s background was interesting, specifically how he was a German citizen who joined the US army. He was born into a Jewish family in Germany and was frequently harassed by Nazi kids. He fled Nazi Germany to the US and although he is known as a ruthless man, he he had a pretty successful life. He joined the army and created a big name for himself in American politics.

22. Hymie Israel

    Notes:
    Kissinger was born in Germany to Jewish family in the 30’s, during the rise of the Nazi’s
    Founder of Realism
    Realism- no idealism in politics, politics without morality
    Towards the end of the war, the army is recruiting people who speak German
    While in the army, he gets to experience politics behind the curtain and works with the FBI
    Joined Nixon’s cabinet as security advisor and then becomes Secretary of State
    Detente- the way to diffuse tensions is through diplomacy and negotiations

    Comments:
    I think Kissinger’s role in the US’ foreign policy is extremely important. If all the events leading up to him become Secretary of State hadn’t occured, who knows where we would be today. I think the event that shaped Kissinger the most is him joining the army and being able to see how politics effects people and events as he saw in Germany.

23. Omar Malik

    Notes:

    -US foreign policy changed over 2-3 decades
    -Kissinger was most likely the creator of the American foreign policy over 50-60 years
    -Kissinger’s policies have been influencing current individuals of high political status such as secretaries of state
    -Kissinger meets individuals of high political status
    -Kissinger was born in Germany
    -Kissinger is from a Jewish family
    -He currently lives in Connecticut and is almost a centenarian (someone who has reached the age of 100 years old)
    -Kissinger experienced the rise of the Nazis
    -He must’ve had a troubling time in Germany, as the Nazis targeted Jewish individuals
    -In Germany, Jewish people were not allowed to leave their ghettos
    -Kissinger loved soccer while growing up
    -Realism is similar to politics without morality
    -Kissinger becomes ruthless in foreign policy
    -He moved to USA around the start of World War II
    -He went to city college in Harlem
    -Kissinger studied accounting
    -Those fluent in German were wanted for translations
    -Political tension between USA and the Soviet Union was high, as the Soviet Union supported communism
    -John F Kennedy was assassinated in the 1960s
    -Everyone turned to Kissinger’s perspective regarding foreign policy

    Comments:

    I was really interested while learning about Kissinger. I love the fact that despite having such a rough upbringing, he still brought himself back up and made a big difference in USA’s national political mindset. Additionally, I’m amazed at the fact that he’s almost 100 years old and still continues to do what he started to do a long time ago. That means he must’ve had a big influence on America for much longer than expected and still does.

24. Genesis Aguirre
    Notes:
    -He was born in Germany to Jewish parents
    -He grew up in Germany during the 1930s when Hitler had taken power
    -Fled Nazi Germany in 1938 to London then to New York
    -Stayed in The US after fleeing until now, he is 95+
    -He is a founder of a school of politic, realism is politics without morality,
    -His family moved to washington heights
    -He went to City College and studied accounting
    -He applied to be in the army because the US army needed German speaking officials
    -Kissinger worked with FBI agents, and Politicians.
    -The US had divided Germany with The Soviet Union
    -Nixon had become close to Kissinger and fully trusted Kissinger’s foreign policies and implemented a lot of them
    -He was planning and dealing with foreign policy
    Comments:
    It’s crazy how Kissinger was had so much happen throughout his childhood. He was born in Germany to Jewish parents on the earlier years of Nazi Germany. His family fled from Germany to London then to New York where he grew up and then went to a CUNY, which I find very interesting because you don’t think about these historic events in proximity to present day. But Kissinger is still alive and he was born and lived, and took part in History. His life experience would be seen through his work and ideology.

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