Putin lost a longtime friend and confidant, the only American statesman he respected and admired. Why might these two have hit if off? War criminal Henry Kissinger, like Putin, was responsible for millions of deaths and backing some of the most brutal regimes in the world. The foreign policy establishment here in the U.S. and in Europe have blood on their hands for normalizing Kissinger, like Putin, for far too long. 

For a refresher on Kissinger’s legacy, which was revealed to be even worse than previously known, listen to the Gaslit Nation spring 2023 interview with investigative journalist Nick Turse on his reporting for The Intercept into the generational trauma of Kissinger in Cambodia. Not content to prolong the Vietnam war, Kissinger spread the conflict to formally neutral Cambodia, helping bring to power the repressive Khmer Rouge. Add to that his enabling of genocides in East Timor and Bangladesh, as well as backing dictators and murder squads in Latin America. It’s obvious why he was also a fan of Trump. All this is to say, where were you when you first heard the news that Kissinger will no longer be advising other war criminals, and how did you celebrate? 

Andrea shares a story of spotting Kissinger at a party while holding a throwable glass of wine in her hand, and why it’s important to celebrate the demise of war criminals–that’s how you build a culture to prevent future war criminals. The Patreon-only portion of this week’s bonus episode features comments and questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Topics range from turning our current rollercoaster of living history into the next Nineteen Eighty-Four, celebrating our acts of civil resistance, books to read to find your voice in the world, and more! To join the conversation, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit. 

Show Notes:

Henry Kissinger, responsible for millions of deaths, dies at 100 https://theintercept.com/2023/11/29/henry-kissinger-death/

Henry Kissinger: ‘If it were not for the accident of my birth, I would be antisemitic.’ https://forward.com/culture/470300/kissinger-at-100-if-it-were-not-for-the-accident-of-my-birth-i-would-be/

Alex Gibney Documentary: The Trials of Henry Kissinger https://www.amazon.com/Trials-Henry-Kissinger-Eugene-Jarecki/dp/B00A9IFSBY

Kissinger on the Nixon tapes https://youtu.be/OKoqIqQ0E08?si=vV7uM8nNwyPiHoMI

Kissinger, a longtime Putin confidant, sidles up to Trump  https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-kissinger-russia-putin-232925

Andrea’s celebratory tweet: What is the first thing Satan said to Kissinger? https://twitter.com/AndreaChalupa/status/1730055040985874722?t=UftX3tgzsaT9HQzlkzYbMw&s=19

Monty Python song “Henry Kissinger”: https://youtu.be/ABeGhyAD_DM?si=3t1FR3jsar78sqKv

Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago A blueprint reviewed by The Times laid out the attack in detail. Israeli officials dismissed it as aspirational and ignored specific warnings. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-attack-intelligence.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Ck0.uBQX.Rdb-cCaQzu18&hpgrp=k-abar&smid=url-share