High life | 26 November 2011

Henry Kissinger, writing on American foreign policy, mentions that, according to Dean Acheson, ‘Leaving high office is like the end of a great love affair — a void left by the disappearance of heightened sensibilities and focused concerns.’ Dr K. should know. He was a swinger in his younger days, was among the first to mention that power is one of the greatest of all aphrodisiacs, and knew quite a few beauties in his time. He then married the very graceful and extremely supportive Nancy and has lived happily ever after.

Lucky Dr K. I am a great fan of his and consider him a modern Machiavelli, meant in the best possible way. Here’s Dr Kissinger on advice to the prince: ‘The adviser to the prince occasionally faces the dilemma of balancing the benefits of the ability to alter events against the possibility of exclusion, should he bring his objections to any one policy to a head.’ Better still, ‘How does the ability to modify the prince’s prevailing conduct weigh against the moral onus of participation in his policies?’ Kissinger was fortunate to serve an intelligent president like Richard Nixon. The much maligned Nixon was, as far as I’m concerned, the greatest postwar president, with his openings to China and the Soviets which eventually led to the collapse of the latter.

In Kissinger Nixon found the greatest and most learned adviser, something for which Dr Henry will never be forgiven by those morons inside the Washington beltway and the media of the Left. What I have never understood is the reasoning behind their hate. What was Hank supposed to do? Sabotage Uncle Sam because an old bag like Katharine Graham didn’t like the president and preferred the company of a tart like Pamela Harriman? Kissinger gives generous credit to other secretaries of state, especially the two great ones, Dean Acheson under Truman and John Foster Dulles under Eisenhower.