Discourse Blog

Discourse Blog

Share this post

Discourse Blog
Discourse Blog
The Henry Kissinger Obits are Ridiculous and Rage-Inducing
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

The Henry Kissinger Obits are Ridiculous and Rage-Inducing

Telling the truth about his evils appears impossible for these people.

Jack Mirkinson's avatar
Jack Mirkinson
Nov 30, 2023
∙ Paid
46

Share this post

Discourse Blog
Discourse Blog
The Henry Kissinger Obits are Ridiculous and Rage-Inducing
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
8
6
Share
Bettmann via Getty Images

As you are doubtless aware by now, Henry Kissinger is dead.

(Waits for applause to end.) Kissinger, who served for years as—(applause still going). Who, as I was saying, served—(applause getting even louder. Deafening cheers going up across the world). I’d better just be quiet until you’ve all got this out of your system.

[SIXTEEN HOURS LATER]

Let’s start over.

For decades, Henry Kissinger was the ultimate personification of American imperialist evil. That he committed crimes against humanity is not some college debating point. It’s about as established a fact as we have, one spelled out in countless publicly available documents.

In a better world, these pretty unassailable truths would be treated as, well, unassailable truths. And some people—like friend of the blog Spencer Ackerman, or Kissinger biographer Greg Grandin, who wrote the obituary over at my other house—did just that, and did it brilliantly. But this is the United States of America, so there is a limit to how much truth can be told about the people in charge of the country. Thus, most of our leading purveyors of news have done what they almost always do: contort themselves into ridiculous verbal knots to try and avoid an accurate description of their pal’s horrific misdeeds.

Seriously, I challenge you to get through some of the Kissinger obituaries with your breakfast intact. These writers were seemingly tasked with finding every noxious euphemism possible for “this man is responsible for the deaths of millions of people,” and boy did they deliver. Even more than that, they are one of the best chances you will have to see how the elite U.S. media helps whitewash the extent of our government’s crimes.

Share

So join me, won’t you, in a trip through the most nauseating parts of the leading Henry Kissinger obituaries.

Let’s start where you always knew we would—with the New York Times.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Discourse Blog to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Discourse Blog Inc.
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More