Kissinger Uncovered 3-pack

Includes:

Kissingerism

Turning 100, the accolades for Henry Kissinger are pouring in. He is a legend. Over decades, he has assiduously cultivated and constructed the image of the sagacious elder statesman. Corporate journalists hang on his every word. Politicians seek his advice. But what is his record to deserve such respect and reverence? He is one of the most notorious characters of this or any other period in history. Just ask the Kurds, the East Timorese, the Bangladeshis, the Laotians, and the Chileans what they think of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. But since they are “unpeople,” their opinions don’t count. When he was Nixon’s national security advisor, Kissinger displayed his kowtowing to power when he kept silent as his boss made anti-Semitic remarks. When Nixon demanded that Cambodia be bombed, he conveyed the order like a good errand boy. It was Kissinger who once boasted, “The illegal we do immediately, the unconstitutional takes a little longer.” Recorded at the University of Montana.

The Kissinger Case

Henry Kissinger beware. With the detention of former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet and the arrest of Yugoslavia's Slobodan Milosovic, no longer can tyrants hide behind the defense of sovereign immunity for their crimes against humanity. While some still consider Kissinger one of the U.S.'s most influential political power brokers, as Secretary of State and National Security Adviser, he played a role in numerous heinous crimes, from genocide in East Timor to the coup in Chile. If Henry Kissinger is ever indicted, the prosecution team should recruit Christopher Hitchens to help their case. Recorded at Powell’s Bookstore.

Kissinger & the Coup in Chile

The 1973 U.S.-directed coup overthrowing the democratically-elected government of Salvador Allende in Chile is one of the pivotal moments in 20th century Latin American history. The coup was ordered by Richard Nixon and implemented by Nobel Peace Prize-winner Henry Kissinger. After Allende's election in 1970, Kissinger infamously demonstrated his dedication to democracy when he said, " I don't see why we need to stand by and watch a country go Communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people." The coup brought to power General Augusto Pinochet who immediately launched a reign of terror. Kissinger has never been held to account for what he did in Chile. Today, he continues his career as an honored media guest and advisor to Bush and Cheney on Iraq.

Speakers

Greg Grandin

Greg Grandin, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, is a professor of history at Yale. He is the author of The End of the Myth, The Blood of Guatemala, and Kissinger’s Shadow. A recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the New York Public Library, he has served on the UN Truth Commission investigating the Guatemalan Civil War. His articles appear in the Los Angeles Times, The Nation, and The New York Times.

Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens was a regular columnist for Vanity Fair. His articles appeared in major journals and magazines. He was the author of many books including For the Sake of Argument and The Trial of Henry Kissinger. He died in December 2011.

Peter Kornbluh

Peter Kornbluh is senior analyst at the National Security Archive in Washington, DC. He is the author of Bay of Pigs Declassified: The Secret CIA Report and The Pinochet File.