Editing Henry Kissinger (section)

=== Legacy and reception ===
Kissinger has generally received a polarizing reception; some have portrayed him as a strategic genius who was willing to act in a [[utilitarian]] manner, others have portrayed his foreign policy decisions as immoral and profoundly damaging in the long run.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mosettig |first=Michael |date=November 30, 2023 |title=Examining the legacy of the enduring, polarizing Henry Kissinger |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/examining-the-legacy-of-the-enduring-polarizing-henry-kissinger |access-date=December 1, 2023 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us |archive-date=December 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201023303/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/examining-the-legacy-of-the-enduring-polarizing-henry-kissinger |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Positive views ====
Historian [[Niall Ferguson]] has argued that Kissinger is one of the most effective secretaries of state in American history.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ferguson |first=Niall |date=November 30, 2023 |title=Opinion: Henry Kissinger's Century |language=en-US |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/henry-kissingers-century-01a1a932 |access-date=December 2, 2023 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=December 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201013901/https://www.wsj.com/articles/henry-kissingers-century-01a1a932 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[editorial board]] of ''The Wall Street Journal'' stated in the aftermath of his death "Kissinger was a target of both the right and left in those perilous Cold War years, often unfairly". The article noted that he was often criticized by [[Conservatism in the United States|American conservatives]] for overlooking [[human rights in China]], while saying "he had no illusions about the [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]] or its nationalist ambitions. His view was that the U.S. and China had to achieve some ''[[modus vivendi]]'' to avoid war despite their profound cultural and political differences" while claiming that "the alternatives then, as now, weren't usually [democracy advocates] of the left's imagining. They were [[Marxism–Leninism|often Communists]] who would have aligned themselves with the [[Soviet Union|Soviets]] ... . The U.S. provided covert aid to [[Allende]]'s political opponents, but declassified briefings from the time show the U.S. was unaware of the military coup that deposed him. Kissinger wasn't responsible for [[Augusto Pinochet]]'s coup or its bloody excesses. Chile eventually became a democracy ... Cuba remains a dictatorship."<ref>{{Cite news |author=The Editorial Board |date=November 30, 2023 |title=Opinion: Henry A. Kissinger, 1923–2023 |language=en-US |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/henry-kissinger-dies-age-100-26c9afab |access-date=December 1, 2023 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=November 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130232020/https://www.wsj.com/articles/henry-kissinger-dies-age-100-26c9afab |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Negative views ====
A number of journalists, activists, and human rights lawyers accused Kissinger of being responsible for [[war crime]]s during his tenure in government.<ref name="Times of Israel2"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Nevius |first=James |date=February 13, 2016 |title=Does Hillary Clinton see that invoking Henry Kissinger harms her campaign? |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/13/hillary-clinton-henry-kissinger-harms-her-campaign |url-status=live |access-date=October 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130073825/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/13/hillary-clinton-henry-kissinger-harms-her-campaign |archive-date=January 30, 2020}}</ref> Some sought civil and even criminal penalties against Kissinger, but none of these attempts were successful.<ref name="Rohter" /> In September 2001, relatives and survivors of General [[Rene Schneider]] filed civil proceedings in federal court in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Bill |date=September 11, 2001 |title=Family of Slain Chilean Sues Kissinger, Helms |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/09/11/family-of-slain-chilean-sues-kissinger-helms/2439f3a4-dfe0-418c-9454-de6052e4df55/ |access-date=December 8, 2023 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=October 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002084139/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/09/11/family-of-slain-chilean-sues-kissinger-helms/2439f3a4-dfe0-418c-9454-de6052e4df55/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The suit was later dismissed.<ref name="Davis-2008" /> In April 2002, a petition for Kissinger's arrest was filed in the [[High Court of Justice]] in London by human rights campaigner [[Peter Tatchell]], citing the destruction of civilian populations and the environment in [[Indochina]] during the years 1969–1975.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pallister |first=David |date=April 21, 2002 |title=Tatchell seeks Kissinger arrest in UK |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/apr/22/davidpallister |url-status=live |access-date=November 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201013240/https://amp.theguardian.com/uk/2002/apr/22/davidpallister |archive-date=December 1, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=April 30, 2002 |title=Why the law wants a word with Kissinger |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/04/29/1019441343996.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422214758/https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/04/29/1019441343996.html |archive-date=April 22, 2018 |via=Fairfax Digital}}</ref> The petition was rejected one day after filing.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 22, 2002 |title=UK bid to arrest Kissinger fails |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/04/22/uk.kissinger/index.html |url-status=dead |access-date=December 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623214256/http://edition.cnn.com:80/2002/WORLD/europe/04/22/uk.kissinger/index.html?related |archive-date=June 23, 2018}}</ref>

One of his most prominent critics was American-British journalist and author [[Christopher Hitchens]]. Hitchens authored ''[[The Trial of Henry Kissinger]]'', in which he called for the prosecution of Kissinger "for war crimes, for [[crimes against humanity]], and for offenses against [[Common law|common]] or [[Customary law|customary]] or [[international law]], including conspiracy to commit murder, kidnap, and torture".<ref>{{cite web |last=Hitchens |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Hitchens |date=December 13, 2010 |title=How Can Anyone Defend Kissinger Now? |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2010/12/how_can_anyone_defend_kissinger_now.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113052026/http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2010/12/how_can_anyone_defend_kissinger_now.html |archive-date=January 13, 2016 |access-date=January 8, 2016 |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hitchens |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Hitchens |date=November 27, 2002 |title=The Latest Kissinger Outrage |work=Slate |url=http://primary.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2002/11/the_latest_kissinger_outrage.html |access-date=November 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101030037/http://primary.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2002/11/the_latest_kissinger_outrage.html |archive-date=January 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Show us the papers, Hitchens |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200105140041 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313223638/http://www.newstatesman.com/200105140041 |archive-date=March 13, 2012 |access-date=November 25, 2011 |work=New Statesman}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hitchens |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Hitchens |date=December 14, 2010 |title=Latest Nixon Tape Buries Kissinger's Reputation |work=[[National Post]] |url=https://nationalpost.com/full-comment/christopher-hitchens-latest-nixon-tape-buries-kissingers-reputation |url-status=live |access-date=December 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130060829/https://nationalpost.com/full-comment/christopher-hitchens-latest-nixon-tape-buries-kissingers-reputation |archive-date=November 30, 2023}}</ref> American chef and TV personality [[Anthony Bourdain]] wrote in ''[[A Cook's Tour (book)|A Cook's Tour]]'': "Once you've been to Cambodia, you'll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands... Witness what [he] did... and you will never understand why he's not sitting in the dock at [[The Hague]] next to [[Milošević]]."<ref>{{cite news |last=Keating |first=Joshua |date=June 8, 2018 |title=Anthony Bourdain really, really hated Henry Kissinger |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/06/anthony-bourdain-really-really-hated-henry-kissinger.html |url-status=live |access-date=May 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402141854/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/06/anthony-bourdain-really-really-hated-henry-kissinger.html |archive-date=April 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Yarm |first=Mark |date=May 26, 2023 |title=Henry Kissinger is turning 100. A long-running meme wishes otherwise. |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/05/26/kissinger-death-memes/ |url-status=live |access-date=May 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527002200/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/05/26/kissinger-death-memes/ |archive-date=May 27, 2023}}</ref>

Author [[Robert D. Kaplan]] and historian Niall Ferguson have disputed these notions and argued that there is a [[double standard]] in how Kissinger is judged in comparison to others. They have defended Kissinger by arguing that American power to advocate for human rights in other nations is often counterproductive and limited, that taking into consideration [[geopolitical]] realities is an inevitable part of any effective foreign policy, and that there are utilitarian reasons to defend most of the decisions of his tenure.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaplan |first=Robert D. |date=April 25, 2013 |title=In Defense of Henry Kissinger |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/05/the-statesman/309283/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127151303/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/05/the-statesman/309283/ |archive-date=November 27, 2023 |access-date=November 30, 2023 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref>

==== Other perspectives ====
Several historians have rejected both prominent reputations of Kissinger. [[David Greenberg (historian)|David Greenberg]] argued that each are exaggerated caricatures that overstate both his genius and immorality: <blockquote>In fact, if there's a single word I'd apply to Kissinger, it's 'overrated.' He was overrated as a scholar (famous mainly for writing a very long dissertation). He was overrated as a strategist (he often gave bad advice, as he did in urging George W. Bush not to withdraw troops from Iraq). He was even overrated as a villain&nbsp;– the 'Christopher Hitchenses' of the world loved to call him a 'war criminal,' but this was a fundamentally unserious charge. The [[United States Department of Defense|Defense Department]], not the [[State Department]], prosecutes wars, and the president oversees it&nbsp;– but the Hitchenses preferred to go after Kissinger rather than (Defense Secretaries) [[Mel Laird]] or [[James Schlesinger]] or even Nixon.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Azizi |first1=Arash |last2=T. Nguyen |first2=Lien-Hang |last3=Beaucar Vlahos |first3=Kelley |last4=Zeitz |first4=Joshua |last5=Menon |first5=Rajan |last6=Karabell |first6=Zachary |last7=Del Pero |first7=Mario |last8=Greenberg |first8=David |last9=Logevall |first9=Fredrik |date=November 30, 2023 |title='My Mother Told Me Not to Speak Ill of the Dead': Political Experts on Henry Kissinger's Legacy |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/30/henry-kissinger-legacy-00129420 |access-date=December 1, 2023 |website=Politico |language=en |archive-date=November 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130231859/https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/30/henry-kissinger-legacy-00129420 |url-status=live }}</ref></blockquote> Similarly, [[Mario Del Pero]] argued: <blockquote>He was not particularly original or bold, once we scratch away from his writings the deliberately opaque and convoluted prose he often used, possibly to try to render more original thoughts and reflections that were in reality fairly conventional. ... In short, he wasn't a war criminal, he wasn't a very deep or sophisticated thinker, he rarely challenged the intellectual vogues of the time (even because it would have meant to challenge those in power, something he always was—and still is—reluctant to do), and once in government he displayed a certain intellectual laziness vis-à-vis the intricacies and complexities of a world that he still tended to see in black-and-white.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 10, 2015 |title=Henry Kissinger: Good or Evil? |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/10/henry-kissinger-history-legacy-213237 |access-date=December 2, 2023 |website=Politico Magazine |language=en |archive-date=December 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201111052/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/10/henry-kissinger-history-legacy-213237/ |url-status=live }}</ref></blockquote>