In 2023, Henry Kissinger will celebrate 100 years of life and more than half a century of authority concerning US diplomacy. Kissinger’s one-hundredth birthday is a great moment in which we should evaluate the effects of the ideas of foreign policy that he has advocated. I, as an expert of American foreign policy, have delved into Kissinger’s activities as National Security Adviser and Secretary of State for both the Nixon and Ford governments between 1969 and 1977. I have observed the consequences of his foreign policy stances and decisions, which were both beneficial and, more often, negative. Upon his appointment to Richard Nixon’s national security position, Kissinger followed “realpolitik” which focused mainly on bolstering the financial and military strength of the United States. Operating off of this power-based and exchange-driven ethos for foreign policy brought about a series of harmful results. From causing coups resulting in tyrannical regimes, such as in Chile, to slaying defenceless people, like those in Cambodia, to creating hostility with potential friends, like India, this technique has accomplished much destruction. In his first book, which used to be its dissertation, Kissinger claims that officials in international relations are evaluated based on their capacity to comprehend transformations in military, political and economic influence around the world and use them to benefit their homeland. In this perspective of worldwide affairs, the values commonly associated with America, like freedom, equality and human rights are not relevant. Scarcely perceptible amongst the ruins and bomb craters, what is left of Kampong Tram in Cambodia is visible in an August photo. One, in the year 19773, was obliterated by U.S. bombing. Picture taken by an Associated Press photographer. This viewpoint, which emphasizes being practical, alongside Kissinger having a major role in the foreign affairs field for a long time, has made Kissinger into a go-to source for advice for many different kinds of US leaders. However, when we look at Kissinger’s history, it highlights the problems of having a limited understanding of the national good that excludes values.
