One thing you said about Kissinger's approach to China I would take issue with. I dont think Kissinger convinced China to turn away from the USSR and towards the US. I think China had already seriously broken with the USSR some years earlier and Kissinger had the insight to realize that this might lead the inscrutable Mao to want to turn towards Washington and the West. He took advantage of a rift that already existed.
I think its pretty clear that Kissinger's idea that the USSR was a permanent great power and American policy should reflect that was wrong given that 8 years after Reagan took office and turned towards confrontation the Cold War was over. But there is no question that Kissinger had a realistic approach to foreign policy (As did Reagan and the so called Neo Cons) unlike Carter with his fantasies and Obama with what appears to me to be malevolence. I simply can't believe that anyone could possibly believe that strengthening the Mullahs could serve American interests unless one believes its in America's interest to have little to no influence in the world.
One thing you said about Kissinger's approach to China I would take issue with. I dont think Kissinger convinced China to turn away from the USSR and towards the US. I think China had already seriously broken with the USSR some years earlier and Kissinger had the insight to realize that this might lead the inscrutable Mao to want to turn towards Washington and the West. He took advantage of a rift that already existed.
I think its pretty clear that Kissinger's idea that the USSR was a permanent great power and American policy should reflect that was wrong given that 8 years after Reagan took office and turned towards confrontation the Cold War was over. But there is no question that Kissinger had a realistic approach to foreign policy (As did Reagan and the so called Neo Cons) unlike Carter with his fantasies and Obama with what appears to me to be malevolence. I simply can't believe that anyone could possibly believe that strengthening the Mullahs could serve American interests unless one believes its in America's interest to have little to no influence in the world.
Thanks for the comment. Fair point about China already having moved away from the USSR.