Kissinger Dies
Plus: Trump opts out of debates, blackface story gets a twist, AI-enhanced IRS, and more...
No more of Kissinger's "charm": Henry Kissinger, who served as secretary of state under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and national security adviser under Nixon, has died at 100.
"America has lost one of the most dependable and distinctive voices on foreign affairs with the passing of Henry Kissinger," said former President George W. Bush in a statement last night, praising "his wisdom, his charm, and his humor."
Others (Cambodians and Laotians, to name a few) have been less enamored with Kissinger's "charm" and "humor." For an alternative rundown of Kissinger's legacy, read Sheldon Richman's 2014 piece for Reason which eviscerated Hillary Clinton's Washington Post review of Kissinger's book, World Order.
"If I didn't know better, I'd suspect some pseudonymous writer of having fun with irony in this review," said Richman, noting the use of a Barack Obama quote on how the U.S., post–World War II, "construct[ed] an architecture to keep the peace."
That is, "if you don't count the mass atrocity that was the Vietnam War, the U.S.-sponsored Israeli oppression of Palestinians, and various massacres carried out by U.S.-backed 'leaders' in such places as Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan), East Timor, Chile, and elsewhere," added Richman. "One Henry Kissinger had a hand in all these crimes," which went unmentioned by Clinton.
"If the U.S. empire is indispensable to justice and liberalism," posited Richman, then "we are in trouble. The record is not encouraging. Kissingerian 'realism' creates global threats."
Reactions to Kissinger's death from around the web:
'70s flashback pic.twitter.com/iw4l041lpJ
— Jesse Walker (@notjessewalker) November 30, 2023
I love that the PRC propaganda line is that everything about American foreign policy is terrible — except for Henry Kissinger. https://t.co/3UbbWxx6Zy
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) November 30, 2023
Preeminent foreign policy commentator Mia Khalifa decided to give her OnlyFans subscribers a discount in celebration of Kissinger's death (discount code: ByeBitch), in a decidedly 2023 twist.
Strange times we live in. Contra Khalifa, I will just say this: Whatever you think of his record, condolences to his family. Further reading on his legacy here and here.
Trump doubles down on skipping debates: Republican presidential contenders keep taking the debate stage to jockey for attention, hoping their sparring moments go viral and can win them a boost in the polls. Just one is conspicuously absent.
Donald Trump will be skipping Wednesday's debate, just as he's skipped the other three, to attend a fundraiser for his PAC in Hallandale Beach, Florida, instead.
Trump is beating his opponents by more than 40 percentage points in most polls. He has a strong and commanding lead, and has called on the Republican National Committee to cancel the remaining debates—a demand to which it has not acquiesced—which he calls "unwatchable." Many have pointed to the interesting fact that, in this election cycle, Trump is almost running as an incumbent, seeing himself as so far above the competition that he doesn't need to hew to traditional rules.
Also on the unconventional formatting front: Tonight, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, will face off against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is running for president. They'll most likely debate crime, COVID-19, immigration, and the economic health of the two states.
Israel-Hamas ceasefire extended: Early this morning, right before the temporary ceasefire was set to expire, mediators managed to negotiate one more day of pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas. This will allow more October 7 hostages to be released, and for more aid to get into southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands are sheltering and in dire need.
Within Israel's borders, "at least three people were killed and six others wounded when two Palestinian gunmen affiliated with Hamas opened fire near a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem," early this morning, according to Israeli law enforcement, reported The New York Times.
Scenes from New York: Working on a new documentary for Reason.
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- That blackface story I mentioned yesterday, in which a Deadspin journalist wrote a viral article criticizing a literal child for having his face painted red and black and wearing a headdress at a Kansas City Chiefs game? It turns out, per the kid's mom, that he is Native American.
- Helen Toner is out as one of OpenAI's board members. Perhaps the most interesting thing about last week's saga is that so little has come out about why the board accused CEO Sam Altman of failing to be honest and transparent in his communications with them. (Disclosure: My husband works for OpenAI.)
Today, I officially resigned from the OpenAI board.
Thank you to the many friends, colleagues, and supporters who have said publicly & privately that they know our decisions have always been driven by our commitment to OpenAI's mission.
1/5— Helen Toner (@hlntnr) November 30, 2023
i am once again begging the previous board to say something that isn't pastel colored corporate pablum
— roon (@tszzl) November 30, 2023
- OK, artificial intelligence has officially gone too far:
"Here is the awe-inspiring and intense scene of IRS agents in a futuristic command center, actively tracking down rich tax cheats." pic.twitter.com/tm2o13gipJ
— James Medlock (@jdcmedlock) November 29, 2023
