SECRETARIES!
So, I was thinking about this a few weeks ago when Madeleine Albright was interviewed on NPR. Who are my favorite Secretaries of State? Amazingly I had a top four list pretty quickly, but after some thought I expanded it into five, just for you. So, in no particular order:
1.) Henry Kissinger (Nixon, 1973-77)
This one is in particular order. I love Henry Kissinger. I think he's the man. So much so I name random things after him, like frisbee golf holes, and tables. Hank Kissinger, I like him. I manage to look past his carpet bombing of Cambodia, I don't really approve of it, but as my friend Dan sardonically said, we sure haven't heard a lot from Cambodia lately. I'm also not a fan of his getting people to kidnap Central American dignitaries...what I love though can be summed up in one word. Pragmatism. I lied, there are several more words. Realpolitik, German, woooooooo. Detente, french, wooooo. Opening communist China. Setting up the end to the cold war. Turning defeat in Nam into victory all around the world. The man is reviled by so many, and I think those people should bother to read. Kissinger did a lot for the United States, not only during his time, but set up some amazing things that continue today. Also, Nobel Peace Prize, Sweden thinks he's rad, too.
2.) William Seward (Lincoln, Johnson, 1861-69)
The man had no experience whatsoever. Nobody thought he was a good choice. He came in second to Lincoln in winning his party's nomination, and apparently that was good enough for Lincoln. He bought Alaska, for what would today be about 90 million dollars. Everybody thought he was insane, probably including the Russians, the original owners. Seward was unaware of its vast resources, read: oil, but said it was a good choice, because it gave America more land. I can't imagine what the cold war would have been like if the comrades had a large chunk attached to Canada, it would have been no good for us, and my friend Hank Kissinger. More than Alaska, Seward kept the confederacy down. First he tried to make them join back up by threatening war with Britain and France, assuming it'd unite the country. When Lincoln told him to stop being insane, he instead convinced Britain and France to not acknowledge the existence of the Confederacy.
3.) John Quincy Adams (Monroe, 1817-1825)
Sure he was a president, but his best work came as secretary of state. He authored the Monroe Doctrine, even though the credit goes to Monroe, clearly. In doing so he made sure Britain, France and Spain wouldn't screw with us. He then bought Florida from Spain to make it even easier for them not to screw with us. He also negotiated with Spain to get us all the way to the Pacific. He also shaped a much friendlier policy towards Native Americans than any other president at the time, most of which was reversed when Andrew Jackson, noted Indian hater, took office.
4.) Thomas Jefferson (Washington, 1789-1793)
Jefferson is on here mainly because he was the first. He set the precedent for the job. He made it what it is today, and what it always has been. Not only that, but when Britain and France began battling in 1793, even though he totally loved France, he set America up to be neutral.
5.) Madeleine Albright (Clinton, 1997-2001)
I feel she is the most underrated Secretary of State. That could be because it hasn't been long, though. She helped spread environmental standards and labor standards throughout the world. She was a major reason the conflict in the Balkan region didn't go much more poorly. She made many American alliances much stronger, and pressed countries on the issue of Human Rights.
Honorable Mention goes to Hamilton Fish, Dean Acheson, George Marshall, Charles Evans Hughes and John Hay.
Best Name goes to Lawrence Eagleburger.
Secretaries I Hate The Most: Lawrence Eagleburger, come on, he was only there for a month, Alexander Haig, John Forsyth.
That's my dork binge for tonight.
1.) Henry Kissinger (Nixon, 1973-77)
This one is in particular order. I love Henry Kissinger. I think he's the man. So much so I name random things after him, like frisbee golf holes, and tables. Hank Kissinger, I like him. I manage to look past his carpet bombing of Cambodia, I don't really approve of it, but as my friend Dan sardonically said, we sure haven't heard a lot from Cambodia lately. I'm also not a fan of his getting people to kidnap Central American dignitaries...what I love though can be summed up in one word. Pragmatism. I lied, there are several more words. Realpolitik, German, woooooooo. Detente, french, wooooo. Opening communist China. Setting up the end to the cold war. Turning defeat in Nam into victory all around the world. The man is reviled by so many, and I think those people should bother to read. Kissinger did a lot for the United States, not only during his time, but set up some amazing things that continue today. Also, Nobel Peace Prize, Sweden thinks he's rad, too.
2.) William Seward (Lincoln, Johnson, 1861-69)
The man had no experience whatsoever. Nobody thought he was a good choice. He came in second to Lincoln in winning his party's nomination, and apparently that was good enough for Lincoln. He bought Alaska, for what would today be about 90 million dollars. Everybody thought he was insane, probably including the Russians, the original owners. Seward was unaware of its vast resources, read: oil, but said it was a good choice, because it gave America more land. I can't imagine what the cold war would have been like if the comrades had a large chunk attached to Canada, it would have been no good for us, and my friend Hank Kissinger. More than Alaska, Seward kept the confederacy down. First he tried to make them join back up by threatening war with Britain and France, assuming it'd unite the country. When Lincoln told him to stop being insane, he instead convinced Britain and France to not acknowledge the existence of the Confederacy.
3.) John Quincy Adams (Monroe, 1817-1825)
Sure he was a president, but his best work came as secretary of state. He authored the Monroe Doctrine, even though the credit goes to Monroe, clearly. In doing so he made sure Britain, France and Spain wouldn't screw with us. He then bought Florida from Spain to make it even easier for them not to screw with us. He also negotiated with Spain to get us all the way to the Pacific. He also shaped a much friendlier policy towards Native Americans than any other president at the time, most of which was reversed when Andrew Jackson, noted Indian hater, took office.
4.) Thomas Jefferson (Washington, 1789-1793)
Jefferson is on here mainly because he was the first. He set the precedent for the job. He made it what it is today, and what it always has been. Not only that, but when Britain and France began battling in 1793, even though he totally loved France, he set America up to be neutral.
5.) Madeleine Albright (Clinton, 1997-2001)
I feel she is the most underrated Secretary of State. That could be because it hasn't been long, though. She helped spread environmental standards and labor standards throughout the world. She was a major reason the conflict in the Balkan region didn't go much more poorly. She made many American alliances much stronger, and pressed countries on the issue of Human Rights.
Honorable Mention goes to Hamilton Fish, Dean Acheson, George Marshall, Charles Evans Hughes and John Hay.
Best Name goes to Lawrence Eagleburger.
Secretaries I Hate The Most: Lawrence Eagleburger, come on, he was only there for a month, Alexander Haig, John Forsyth.
That's my dork binge for tonight.
posted by Sam at 6:19 PM
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