Reversing Kissinger, Realpolitik, and Henry Machiavelli von Bismarck

by Gerald A. Honigman (May 2025)

 

The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies’ Clifford D. May penned a thought provoking editorial for The Washington Times dealing with the possible attempt by the Trump administration to do the opposite of what Secretary of State Kissinger orchestrated President Nixon to do in the early 1970s: attempt to lure Russia away from Communist China.

Back then, China was the weaker of the Communist pair. Today, their positions have reversed.

Mr. May argues, correctly, I believe, that this would be a sorry mistake—one that would leave democracies like Ukraine, Moldova, and Taiwan at the mercy of the new Russian/Soviet empire-building czar wannabe, Vladimir Putin, and the immensely powerful expansionist, equally ruthless Chinese President Xi Jinping.

While Ukraine isn’t the best model democracy, it’s still one that deserves to be preserved, and its independence kept intact.

Parts of Ukraine would likely be an enticement for Russia to be lured away from China, but China supports Russia with military assistance and with much needed cash by buying Russian oil. This isn’t likely going to stop unless Uncle Sam decides to replace China (and Iran) by supplying these things to Putin itself.

Let’s now move on to a deceased advisor and administration official of a number of American leaders, Dr. Henry Kissinger.

Whatever his brilliance was in terms of political science and strategic thinking, he, unfortunately, was ruthless and very cold-hearted in how he practiced “Realpolitik.”

During the October 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Israel was almost extinguished as a massive attack by Syria and Egypt was launched on the most sacred of Jewish Holy Days, Secretary of State Kissinger and President Nixon (by now busy with “other” problems) deliberately withheld crucial rearmaments to Israel for far too long while its enemies were receiving all they needed from Russia and its allies.

Both Nixon and his inexcusable stab-in-the-back Jewish Secretary of State knew of the planned combined Arab attack well in advance, but did not let Israel know until two hours before it occurred. They then warned Israel against preempting a la June 5, 1967.

But Israel had a “mensch” guardian angel in the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, White House Chief of Staff, General Alexander Haig.

He, more than anyone else besides the courage of Israel’s vastly outnumbered and outgunned IDF, saved Israel and its Jews from itbach al-Yahud (slaughter the Jews) -chanting Arab genocidal maniacs.

Kissinger withholding the resupply until General Haig could force his protective actions into play cost further huge losses to a beleaguered Israel caught off guard—as would shamefully be repeated yet again on another sacred Holy Day, Simchat Torah , a celebration of the Hebrews receiving the Torah (first five books of the Hebrew Bible) and Ten Commandments, on October 7th, 2023—almost fifty years to the day in 1973.

He, according to very valid sources, explained that he wanted Israel to bleed more to make it more pliable in the future peace negotiations.

If there is a Hell, I hope there’s a special place reserved for he and his ilk.

If Kissinger’s callous behavior towards Jewish life was despicable, his treatment of America’s most faithful friends and allies in all of MENA, besides Israel, the Kurds was totally reprehensible.

Using and abusing these forty million truly stateless people, he lured them into fighting America and its then Iranian ally’s battle against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq on behalf of the Shah during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980’s. He then did nothing except pull the rug out from under them by cutting off the meager arms supplies we had been sending after Iran and Iraq ended the hostilities. Israel helped them more than we did.

Daniel Schorr gives a painfully honest account of Kissinger’s Kurdish policy which, in fairness to Henry Machiavelli von Bismarck, had actually been the anti-Israel, anti-Kurdish State Department’s for over half a century largely due to petroleum politics followed by important quotes linking Big Oil to this problem as well. The nefarious connection of petroleum politics regarding whose political and basic human rights would be addressed and whose wouldn’t be can be found here.

Too often the saying “nations don’t have friends, just interests” are too often applied in foreign policy decisions.

A more humane compromise must be found in which the lives of millions of people are not simply disregarded when morality is discarded for the sake of expediency.

 

Table of Contents