Sunday, October 07, 2007

Fascinating

Maureen Dowd's review of Journals 1952-2000 by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. is history as speed-dating, whizzing through mid-to-late 20th Century Presidential politics.

Schlesinger made his name first with John Kennedy's administration, and if you ever wanted to know the difference between that President and the two we have now, try this:
Schlesinger writes that Kennedy resisted seeing the missile crisis as part of a holy war with the Soviets. “Too many people will think now that all we have to do in dealing with the Russians is to kick them in the balls,” he says, after the Soviets back down. “I think there is a law of equity in these disputes. When one party is clearly wrong, it will eventually give way.” Kennedy is too much of an irono-babe for cowboy diplomacy. He says a nation gets prestige from the strength of its currency, not its nuclear weapons.
More great comments on Nixon, Gore, Jackie, Kissinger, Carter, awesome namedropping. Maybe a great advertisement for the book; that, or the complete crib notes version.

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