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Jewish World Review May 31, 2011 / 27 Iyar, 5771 Names in the News By Paul Greenberg
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Well,
The man who would be Metternich, the prince who restored the old order of But the good doktor has never let his mistakes, especially those on a grand scale, get him down. He's all-American in that way. We all may have our failed dreams, but most of us eventually make our peace with reality. Dr. Kissinger's response is different. He writes a memoir. And in it he explains, if not very convincingly, how he was right all along. Much to his own satisfaction, if not to those burdened by human memory.
The biggest gap in Dr. Kissinger's political (semi)philosophy, though there are many nominees for that dubious honor, is obvious. Our own Dr. Strangelove fails to take into account one minor detail in human affairs: the influence of moral principle. Which may be only natural. We all tend to project our own values -- or lack of them -- onto others. It's not just himself that Dr. Kissinger impresses. He's still a big hit on the Chicken (
Ending his presidential bid and publicity stunt,
"I make you this promise: that I will continue to voice my opinions loudly and help shape our politicians' thoughts." I believe him -- in part. If past is prologue, he will indeed continue to voice his opinions loudly. Also frequently, rudely and inconsequentially. Isn't that what all bores and boors do? As for Part B, the one about his helping shape politicians' thoughts, well, that's less than likely. Mr. Trump is scarcely what the PR people call, in their unfortunate way with words, a Thought Leader. Besides, the idea of "politicians' thoughts" verges on the oxymoronic. Politicians may have instincts, which is why they're called political animals, and they certainly have rationalizations aplenty, but as for any cognitive pattern that might justifiably be called thoughts, aside from plans to win election or re-election, surely it is the rare politician who actually thinks. They may have speeches, they may have projects, they may have foundations, but thoughts? Not likely. Even rarer is the brave soul in politics who dares offer an unpopular opinion. Which is why that kind of politician should be prized, encouraged and applauded. Agree or disagree with his thoughts. At least he has some, as distinguished from automatic echoes of public opinion polls. In general a politician may be defined as someone who'll tell you what he thinks as soon as he knows what you want to hear. This isn't so much thought as a political reflex. Surely there are some thinkers in American politics even this long after
Standing in Westminster Hall,
Now, on the eve of his visit to continental I try to keep up, but instead I keep getting dizzy. Our ambiguous president keeps doubling back on himself. The setting for his latest pronouncement only added to its irony. How does he think Democracy was even imposed on the Germans themselves, for which most are surely grateful by now. Maybe he's "leading from behind" again. Far behind. Or maybe, in the way of politicians, he was speaking rather than thinking. Who knows? Whatever the explanation, Mr. Obama seems blithely unaware of the contradictions inherent in his opposite-but-equal statements. When it comes to foreign policy, our president keeps debating himself. Here's hoping that one day he'll achieve consensus.
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