On December 1, Foreign Policy published its biweekly “It’s Debatable” column featuring the discussions between Matthew Kroenig, vice president and senior director of the Scowcroft Center, and Emma Ashford on the latest news in international affairs. In their latest column, they debate the legacy left by “America’s greatest statesman,” Henry Kissinger.
Why are we debating Kissinger? Why is he perhaps the most famous statesperson in American history?…I think the answer is his sheer longevity and the density of his contributions. He operated at the highest levels of the U.S. foreign-policy establishment for exactly three-quarters of a century, from the publication of his first book in 1957 until earlier this week. I don’t often agree with Steve Walt, but on Kissinger’s 100th birthday, Walt wrote that Kissinger is so famous because he worked at it harder and longer than anyone else. I think that is basically right.
