The idea was DeGaulle’s, and the actual lifting was done by the Chinese. It’s one of the better things he did (except from the Taiwanese perspective) but it hardly exonerates the rest.
Well he ended the war no? Just had to prolong it so he could help end it. Got to bomb a few extra countries for fun as well.
Nixon also called him 'his Jew boy's.
Most of the people I hear your “youthful idealism” from are approaching retirement age. They’re the ones old enough to remember the Vietnam War, Chile, Argentina, East Timor, Bangladesh, etc. and also how he suffered no real consequences for his support.
From what I could tell from one of his books, he believed that ends (in his case, preventing a repeat of the Great War, ie WWI) justify means.
(I neither share that basic belief nor believe that the known harms of the means he employed balanced the unknown —but in my eyes relatively small— risk which his end was to avoid)
I actually disagree on that. He took every side on every issue depending on which way the wind was blowing. He knew exactly who to suck up to to get ahead of the game.
I don't think he actually believed in much at all.
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[ 3.2 ms ] story [ 96.0 ms ] threadHow this war criminal [1] got a Nobel Peace Prize is mystifying.
[1]: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/05/henry-kissinger...
I wonder if people would flag bad comments on a death announcement of a child mass murderer, or some serial rapist.
edit: was
Most are the kind of self-righteousness that only youthful idealism can drive.
Not to mention the extent of opinions is often driven by their knowledge which unfortunately is only as deep as what a Jacobin article can provide.
(I neither share that basic belief nor believe that the known harms of the means he employed balanced the unknown —but in my eyes relatively small— risk which his end was to avoid)
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRKOenxiRaY
I can disagree with many things he did, but I do not doubt that he thought they needed to be done, for causes greater than his own rewards.
Explain, please, what exactly he thought what these great causes and/or rewards were.
He was just an evil, opportunistic man.
I don't think he actually believed in much at all.