Henry Kissinger’s 100 years of life may be the subject of a wealth of debate right now. Honestly, how we choose to scrutinize his life says more about us as Americans than it does about him. So we leave the constant battle between his best and worst decisions up to others. Instead, let us look at his earliest years as it pertains to history - away from party lines and strategic influence.
Growing up in Germany in a Jewish family was rough on Kissinger. However, even with bullying and beatings, his intellect and commitment never wavered. One of Kissinger’s smartest conclusions was to simply put these tough years of life behind him. His fighting spirit carried him through working intelligence during WWII. Rather than round up those who worked/served with the Nazis, Kissinger set up fake job interviews where several freely admitted their service. Next, Kissinger used the confession of one to net the names of many more.
This shrewdness and temerity would be one of his key traits as he broke into political circles. His work at Harvard won him notice from many insiders from both parties, but it was only John F. Kennedy who wanted his expertise. While Kissinger’s possible appointment was blocked by Kennedy’s no-nonsense National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy, being near this inner circle of power established a new goal for the Harvard professor. Nonetheless, as a consultant for both the government and private industry (the Rand Corporation, most notably,) Kissinger became privy to the corridors of power (and their all-important backchannels.)
Politically speaking, Kissinger was always loyal to Nelson Rockefeller. He first met Richard M. Nixon at a party for Rockefeller in 1967, before calling him "a dangerous man" on the campaign trail later that year. More importantly, Kissinger met his future wife Nancy Maginnes, who was both a Harvard student and Rockefeller’s aide. In a Fall 1975 interview with William F. Buckley on PBS's “Firing Line,” Kissinger is questioned on his gift of a history book to Nixon upon joining his staff in late 1968. Given his childhood in Bavaria during the Twenties, Oswald Spengler’s Weimar-era “The Decline of the West” was likely a staple in the most intellectual homes of Fürth. Kissinger told Buckley in 1975, that he thought Nixon should have it to understand that as “a culture where politics, art, science and architecture are part of the same perception..we might not always arrive together at the best conclusions.”
In his massive 1979 tome “White House Years,” Kissinger proves himself adept at refining details into decision-making with an eye on limiting influence and interference. As part of the transition team, Johnson’s administrators provide him with a private office and access to all of the incoming cables and memos. He remembers President Johnson fondly even though he saw that the openness and humanitarianism of his domestic policy, simply did not work in matters overseas. However, Johnson’s greatest nugget of advice to Kissinger regarded the press. After rumors or leaks started undermining his efforts, Johnson told Kissinger in late 1968 “Read the columnists, if they call a member of your staff “thoughtful,” “dedicated,” or some other friendly adjective - fire them immediately.”
Kissinger’s mistrust of the press was understandable and prescient. While he wanted to keep Nixon’s foreign policy far away from ambitious new staffers, he felt that the press must be friends. As a top advisor to Nixon, Kissinger’s initial lockout of the press cooled as he used his Machiavellian train of thought on their process. “As much as the journalist may resent it, they are, in part, also a governmental function.”
Finally, to best understand Kissinger’s prowess over the issues of the day as he took office in 1969 - look at the memos and reports he immediately started sending the President. Regarding the tragedy of Biafra in January 1969, Kissinger’s report (assembled and edited from staff research,) is pragmatic at best. Immediately, he highlights the ongoing humanitarian disaster that is just months away. Kissinger even notes that if only some measures are taken - tragedy is inevitable. His assailment of the reasons behind this situation is even more concise and to the point. While we are sure this level of analysis was nothing new to the game of diplomacy, Kissinger’s continuous refinement rarely leaves out any significant detail or proposition.
His approach to press conferences and any interaction was to always maintain the proverbial “game face.” Kissinger was not the dour man that we often see in pictures. However, as he explains the circumstances regarding his selection and appointment to a staff of Nixon staffers, you understand why he had to keep to himself and never strayed from the administration’s unified front. He is a decorated veteran and Harvard professor who has been plucked from the halls of academia. However, the rest of Nixon’s staff was there in the trenches with him on the campaign trail. To these fighters, this victory was earned and therefore is theirs to be savored. So naturally, Kissinger remains an outsider. Even when recruiting his staff, Kissinger is met with a growing series of controls and demands for approval from those he barely knows. So he counters by appointing a small staff mostly from within The Department of State’s pool of foreign officers. They have the experience, the credentials, and most importantly, working knowledge of how these groups work in Washington. Kissinger did not merely assume power, he took it smartly within the system and with a keen eye on obtaining more over time.
—
Mik Davis is the record store manager at T-Bones Records & Cafe in Hattiesburg.
NEW MUSIC This Week
NEIL YOUNG - Before + After [CLEAR LP/CD/BLU-RAY](Reprise) • While Young is pushing 80, he still has the skills to sit down with his acoustic guitar and favor us with a set of his favorites from his deep catalog. This is a man who re-recorded an entire episode of MTV Unplugged because he was unhappy with it. So his 45th album goes all the way back for three Buffalo Springfield songs, taps back into hidden gems like "Homefire" and "Birds," before digging into the often-omitted years of "Are You Passionate?," "Sleeps With Angels," and winds up with a recent track from "Barn." As always, Young's music is not available for streaming. What is unusual about this release, is that Young envisioned playing these 13 songs as one continuous 48-minute song.
T-BONES will be holding a special LISTENING PARTY for Neil Young's "Before + After" on Friday, December 8th at 7PM.
NICKI MINAJ - Pink Friday 2 [BLUE LP/CD](Young Money/ Republic) • On the long-awaited sequel to her 2010 debut, we find Nicki Minaj in a whole new Hip-Hop world where she opened the door for numerous dominating female artists. Balancing "street record" and "Pop album," Minaj has already racked up one major accomplishment as "Super Freaky Girl" made her the first female rapper to debut at #1 on the Billboard Singles chart since Lauryn Hill in 1998.
TATE MCRAE - Think Later [LP/CD](RCA) • With her single "Greedy" topping the charts worldwide now, Canadian singer Tate McRae is finally having her moment. Working with producer Ryan Tedder, McRae sets her hopes on "Think Later" breaking her out of the Teen Pop trap while keeping her on the charts.
CAR SEAT HEADREST - Faces From The Masquerade [LP](Matador/Redeye) • Finally after the lockdown crushed the momentum on Will Toledo's 2020 release "Making A Door Less Open," the band was back on the road in 2022 where they documented their live fury with this set at Brooklyn Steel.
MUIREANN BRADLEY - I Got These Old Blues Again [CD/CS](Tompkins Square) • Listening to Muireann Bradley tackle the mature Piedmont blues of "Richland Woman Blues" with her warbly high voice demonstrates what a high-wire act reviving and being true to Blues roots truly is. Bradley perfectly fingerpicks and keeps the up/down bounce of the song like she was a modern day Elizabeth Cotton. As she takes on the ancient Mississippi blues of Blind Blake, Mississippi John Hurt, and Robert Wilkins, Bradley polishes them with her own additions of melody (and Fahey-style counter-melody.) Not even 21 yet, Bradley puts herself on the map as a new Blues interpreter and draws in the Anne Briggs majesty of her Donegal roots as well.
CATATONIC SUNS [CD](Agitated) • Pennsylvania trio Catatonic Suns combined their working-class love of Nineties Alt. Rock with a Psychedelic Rock swirl that leaves them sounding like Spacemen 3 played like Smashing Pumpkins. Their small slices of Shoegazer-esque guitar rumble ("Sublunary") are less dreamy and more willing to shoot for guitar-hero/air drum turf. "Failsafe" would have been an MTV Buzz Bin cut (and 120 Minutes fave) while the swaying "Slack" dares to pull in early Radiohead. Catatonic Suns are not here to say the Nineties are back, they simply want to rock it was 1989.
CLASS - If You've Got Nothing [LP](Feel It/The Orchard) • After a pair of EPs (the cleverly titled "2-4-1," many of which are heavily included here,) Phoenix's Class prove themselves to be burning hot at both reviving the classic Spirit of '77 style Punk (the brilliant winding "Inspect The Receipt") as well as Flamin' Groovies-esque twangy propulsive Rock (the tense swagger of "Grid Stress.") Even their Lo-Fi manner of recording is beneficial to their edge (the trebly whoosh of "Public Void") or bratty harmonies (the Buzzcocks-meets-Milk N'Cookies charge of "Two-Way Track.") With every track clocking in two minutes on average, Class is a marvel at riff-packing and documenting clever teenage dreams gone astray ("Burning Cash" even rolls out a terse monologue like Suicidal Tendencies' "Institutionalized.")
